^ 


A 


^ewsjiajier    Duilding 


JASON   ROGERS 


JN  ewspaperouilding 

Application   of    Efficiency 

to  Rditingy  to  Mechanical 

Production^  to    Circulation 

and  Advertising 

With   Cost    Finding    Methods 
Office    Forms    and    Systems 

hy  Jason  Rogers 

Many  Charts,  Diagrams,  and  Portraits 


New  York  and  London 

liarper    £5    Hrothers 

m-c-m-x-v-i-i-i 


Newspaper  Building 


Copyright,  1918.  by  Harper  &  Brothers 

Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 

w-rt 


Contents 


PAGB 

Foreword j^^ 

PART    I 
The  Background  of  Experience 

CHAPTER 

I.  Stone,  Lawson,  and  The  Daily  News 3 

II.  Mr.  Lawson  as  a  Builder 12 

III.  Colonel  Nelson  and  The  Star 20 

IV.  Pulitzer  and  McLean 38 

V.  OcHS  AND  The  Times 45 

VI.  The  Montreal  Star's  Great  Success 62 

VII.  Story  of  The  New  York  Globe 66 

PJRT   II 
Beginning  a  Newspaper  Career 

VIII.  Experience  from  Unsuccess 77 

IX.  First  Count  the  Losses 82 

X.  "Make  Your  Own  Newspaper" 87 

XI.  What  Does  It  Cost? 91 

XII.  Finances  and  Capitalization loi 

XIII.  Features  for  and  of  Your  Field no 

XIV.  Evening  vs.  Morning  Papers 114 

FART   III 

Building  Up  the  Property 

XV.  The  Pure-food  Campaign 125 

XVI.  Fashions  and  Intensive  Work 133 

XVII.  The  School  Page  and  Home  Features    ....  140 


G8?043 


CONTENTS 

CBAPTER  PAGB 

XVIII.  Special  News  Service 145 

XIX.  Know  Your  Readers       153 

XX.  Ratio  of  Reading  to  Advertising 156 

PART    IF 
The  Plant 

XXI.  Location  and  Layout 163 

XXII.  Press  and  Stereotyping  Equipment     ....  170 

XXIII.  Composing  Machinery 178 

XXIV.  Space-saving  Economies 1^3 

XXV.  Mechanical  Problems  on  The  Globe     ....  192 

XXVI.  The  Newspaper  and  Labor 197 

PJRT    V 

Advertising 

XXVII.  The  Rate  Card       203 

XXVIII.  Discounts  and  Rates 208 

XXIX.  Use  of  Graphic  Charts  for  Visualizing  Com- 

parative Records 215 

XXX.  Take  Your  Own  Medicine 228 

XXXI.  Visualizing  Your  City        236 


XXXII. 
XXXIII. 


PART    VI 
Circulation 

Promotion  and  Delivery 251 

Premiums  and  Contests       258 


PART    VII 
Modern  Efficiency 

XXXIV.  The  Budget  System 265 

XXXV.  The  Dead  Line  Theory  of  Expense   ....  270 

XXXVI.  Meeting  Increasing  Costs 274 

XXXVII.  Keeping  Track  of  Expenses 277 

XXXVIII.  The  "Little  Black  Book" 283 

XXXIX.  Conclusion  and  Summary 304 

Index 309 


Illustrations 


Jason  Rogers Frontispiece 

Melville  E.  Stone Facing  p.  8 

Victor  F.  Lawson "  12 

First  Page  of  Present-day  Chicago  Daily  News  .     .  Page  15 

Chicago  Daily  News,  Vol.  I,  No.  i,  1875 Facing  p.  16 

First  Page  of  Present-day  Kansas  City  Star  .     .    .  Page  25 

Kansas  City  Star,  Vol.  I,  No.  i,  1880 Facing  p.  26 

Col.  William  R.  Nelson .-    .  "  32 

Joseph  Pulitzer "  42 

First  Page  of  Present-day  New  York  Times  .    .     .  Page  51 

AdoLPH  S.   OcHS         Facing  p.  58 

Lord  Atholstan .' "  64 

H.  J.  Wright "  68 

N.  Y.  Commercial  Advertiser,  Vol.  I,  No.  i,  1797  .     .     .  Page  71 

First  Page  of  Present-day  Chicago  Tribune     ...  **  115 

First  Page  of  Present-day  Boston  Post **  119 

Pure  Food  Page,  New  York  Globe    .......  "  127 

Fashion  Page,  New  York  Globe '*  135 

School  Page,  New  York  Globe "  141 

Floor  Plans  of  New  York  Globe  Plant *'  165 

Masthead  of  Salem  Evening  News "  183 

Mastheads  of  New  York  Globe 184,  185 

Graphic  Charts: 

Circulation Page  217 

Lines  of  Advertising "  218 

Financial  Advertising "  219 

Women's  Specialty  Shops **  220 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Graphic  Charts: 

Editorial  Expense Page 

Circulation  Expense 

Print  Paper  Bill 

White  Paper  Tonnage 

Editorial  Expense 

Expense  vs.  Earnings 

Circulation  Earnings  vs.  Expenses.    .    , 

Survey  of  Your  City 

New  York  Globe  Voucher 

Summary  of  Expenses  (Daily  and  Monthly) 


Faci 


221 
222 
223 
224 
225 
226 
227 

278 
ngp.   278 


"Little  Black  Book"  Pages 285,303 


Foreword 


In  attempting  to  set  down  on  paper  practical  mate- 
rial for  the  use  of  newspaper-makers  generally,  it  is  my 
purpose  to  make  available  to  them  ideas  and  ex- 
periences which  I  have  picked  up  in  the  course  of 
thirty-seven  years  in  the  publishing  and  promotional 
end  of  the  business.  All  this  will  be  presented  in 
such  shape  that  it  can  be  easily  applied  to  meet  the 
various  conditions  found  in  different  widely  scattered 
communities,  no  two  of  which  are  alike  or  call  for 
exactly  the  same  treatment. 

Having  visited  practically  every  important  city  in 
the  United  States  during  the  last  six  years,  studying 
newspaper  practices  and  advertising  conditions,  inci- 
dent to  my  efforts  to  arouse  the  interest  and  secure 
the  co-operation  of  newspaper  publishers  in  the  various 
movements  which  I  have  helped  organize,  I  feel 
qualified  to  talk  regarding  many  newspaper  matters 
in  a  broad  way.  In  exchanging  experiences  with 
numerous  publishers,  editors,  and  business  managers 
in  their  own  offices,  I  have  picked  up  bits  which  I 
know  are  valuable. 

Feeling  that  in  a  comparatively  few  years  those  of 
us  familiar  with  the  wonderful  developments  of  the 
daily  newspaper  during  the  last  twenty-five  or  thirty 
years — the  most  important  in  the  history  of  the  busi- 
ness— will  be  dead  and  perhaps  forgotten,   I   shall 


X     .  FOREWORD 

strive  to  make  a  sort  of  written  record  of  the  ''how" 
of  past  notable  successes,  to  reflect  present-day  effi- 
ciency ideas,  and  to  set  forth  ideas  of  value  to  those 
able  to  apply  them. 

It  is  therefore  to  provide  compass  and  chart,  so  to 
speak,  for  those  who  will  follow  us  on  the  sea  of 
journalism,  unable  to  draw  on  past  experiences  by 
personal  contact  as  we  can,  that  I  shall  attempt  to 
assemble  in  easily  get-at-able  shape  facts,  figures, 
forms,  theories,  and  practices — much  of  the  material 
that  will  enable  those  who  come  after  us  to  accomplish 
greater  success  than  ours  without  the  costly  wasteful- 
ness involved  by  experimentation. 

To  learn  briefly  how  The  Chicago  Daily  News, 
Kansas  City  Star,  New  York  World,  New  York  Times, 
etc.,  scored  their  big  successes  is  more  essential  than 
to  acquire  any  routine  ideas.  To  present  an  array 
of  underlying  fact  and  fundamental  policies,  together 
with  useful  information,  is  to  stimulate  and  inspire 
those  who  are  mounting  the  ladder  of  success. 

In  this  book  will  be  assembled  a  mass  of  helpful 
data,  full  of  suggestiveness.  These  ideas  will  not  be 
of  a  half-baked  variety.  On  the  contrary,  they  will 
be  those  ideas  which  have  proven  successful,  and  will 
be  largely  fool-proof,  as  the  mechanical  experts  put  it. 

I  want  to  tell  the  reader  in  advance  that  my  ideas 
may  seem  to  be  in  striking  contrast  with  the  usual 
so-called  journalistic  traditions  in  many  details.  I 
look  upon  a  newspaper  as  a  manufactured  product, 
made  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  the  news;  for 
sane,  independent  and  sympathetic  discussion  of  lead- 
ing topics  in  its  editorial  columns;  and  a  medium  for 
the  news  of  business  in  its  advertising  columns. 

Notwithstanding  this  strictly  commercial  view  of 


FOREWORD  xi 

newspaper  production,  I  believe  that  only  the  most 
ably  and  most  skilfully  edited  newspaper  can  attain 
enduring  success.  On  the  other  hand,  a  newspaper 
unsuccessful  in  a  financial  way  can  never  secure  and 
hold  the  influence  of  one  that  is  an  acknowledged 
success,  operated  free  from  the  pressing  necessities  and 
handicaps  of  continuous  impecuniosity. 

In  newspaper  work,  as  in  any  other  work,  business 
and  most  of  the  great  professions,  success  means 
ultimate  financial  reward.  But  this  success  comes 
only  to  the  newspaper  that  serves  its  public  faithfully. 
No  matter  how  limited  the  possibilities  of  any  field, 
a  readable  and  attractive  newspaper  must  be  produced 
to  secure  maximum  results  and  influence. 

The  modern  daily  newspaper  is  too  much  an  institu- 
tion for  public  service  to  serve  selfish  interests,  political 
factions,  or  be  edited  in  accordance  with  the  narrow, 
personal  views  of  any  small-bore  editor,  wedded  to 
the  mistaken  notion  that  he  leads,  creates,  and  molds 
public  opinion  on  all  topics.  It  must  reflect  actual 
conditions,  be  rational,  yet  courageous,  and  boost  all 
that  is  good,  in  order  to  become  really  great. 

Unlike  many  books  on  newspaper  production,  this 
one,  it  should  be  clearly  understood,  deals  with  the 
subject  from  the  business  point  of  view,  regarding 
the  editorial  side  as  an  associate  function.  The 
modem  editor,  if  he  is  also  publisher,  must  be  an 
unusually  sound  business  man  or  he  will  soon  find 
himself  hopelessly  in  the  red  ink  in  competition  with 
the  processes  of  modem  efficiencies.  So,  too,  the 
publisher  who  fails  to  realize  that  fidelity  to  the 
public  interest  is  vital  will  inevitably  be  confronted 
with  bankruptcy.  j    j^ 

New  York,  January,  1918. 


PART  I 

The  Background  of  Experience 

Outstanding  American  Newspapers — The 
Men  Who  Have  Made  Them — How  Their 
Influence   Has    Shaped   Modern   News^ 
paper  Ideals  and  Methods 


•  •  •    • 

•  •    (    * 

•  *      *    «. 


•  *  •  »   •*  • 


N  ewspaper    Ijuilding 


Stoney  LawsoUy  and  The  Daily  News 

Two  days  before  Christmas,  or  on  December  23, 
1875,  The  Chicago  Daily  News  made  its  first  appear- 
ance on  the  streets  of  Chicago.  As  has  been  proven 
by  later  experience,  this  Httle  four-page  sheet  marked 
the  opening  of  a  new  epoch  in  journalism  in  the  United 
States,  if  not  the  whole  world. 

It  was  a  newspaper  dedicated  to  the  independent 
and  uncolored  publication  of  the  news,  condensed  but 
complete,  accurate  and  dependable. 

Melville  E.  Stone,  the  present  general  manager  of 
the  Associated  Press,  was  its  editor,  and  it  was  his 
ideal  that  was  being  exemplified.  His  then  asso- 
ciates in  ownership  were  William  E.  Dougherty  and 
Percy  R.  Meggy. 

Mr.  Stone  was  an  experienced  newspaper  editor. 
He  was  familiar  with  the  ordinary  practices  of  the 
newspaper  office,  where  bowing  to  political  and  adver- 
tising favor  were  large  and  important  factors.  Under 
such  conditions  the  reader  was  exploited  for  revenue. 
For  a  consideration  of  support   many  newspapers, 


4  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

under  the  old  conditions,  could  be  induced  to  stand 
for  opinions  contrary  to  those  of  their  editors.  Mr. 
Stone's  ideal  undoubtedly  appeared  like  a  visionary 
dream  to  many  practical  newspaper  workers  of  that 
time,  as  it  would  to-day  to  those  without  faith  that 
a  community  will  gladly  pay  for  the  highest  service. 
There  are  so  many  factors  of  instructive  value  to  the 
student  of  successful  legitimate  journalism  involved 
in  the  early  foundation  work  of  this  great  newspaper 
edifice  that  I  am  drawing  the  picture  to  bring  out 
only  the  high  lights  as  they  appear  to  me. 

A  four-page  newspaper  of  small  size  could  be  made 
and  manufactured  for  so  much  per  thousand  copies. 
The  wholesale  price  to  carriers,  if  they  sold  so  many 
copies,  would  yield  just  such  and  such  revenue.  The 
sale  of  advertising  was  to  be  an  entirely  separate 
operation  without  any  entangling  alliances  or  promises 
of  editorial  favor. 

This  is  probably  the  way  the  proposition  looked  to 
Mr.  Stone  and  his  partners.  Like  hundreds,  if  not 
thousands,  of  those  who  have  started  newspapers,  the 
enthusiastic  effort  to  make  a  dream  come  true  almost 
brought  the  enterprise  to  early  death  through  the 
failure  of  its  promoters  to  provide  for  contingencies 
which  better  business  men  would  have  known  were 
bound  to  arise.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  later  en- 
trance on  the  scene  at  the  psychological  moment  of  a 
man  who  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  outstanding 
geniuses  of  the  newspaper-publishing  business,  Mr. 
Stone's  ideal  might  have  been  shattered  on  the  rocks 
and  the  newspaper  business  set  back  many  years  in 
reaching  its  present  high  standard. 

On  a  platform  of  first,  last  and  all  the  time  the  news, 
without  fear  or  favor,  and  reliable  and  dependable 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  s 

service  to  the  reader,  the  community,  and  the  nation, 
regardless  of  the  advertiser,  poHticians,  or  seekers  of 
public  service  concessions,  The  Chicago  Daily  News 
represented  something  almost  brand  new  in  American 
journalism.  It  did  not  ignore  the  business  factor, 
but  it  placed  the  advertiser  in  the  position  of  paying 
for  the  advertising  space  he  bought,  and  held  out  to 
him  nothing  in  the  way  of  free  notices  or  hope  of 
influencing  its  editorial  policy. 

It  sold  the  limited  amount  of  space  it  had  for  sale 
to  advertisers  on  the  basis  of  definite,  proved,  net 
paid  circulation,  and  for  an  absolutely  identical  rate 
to  all  advertisers  using  the  same  quantity  of  space 
under  the  same  conditions. 

Viewed  from  the  vantage-point  of  forty-two  years 
after  its  first  appearance  and  seeing  how  the  policy 
back  of  it  has  been  generally  adopted  elsewhere,  the 
big  idea  put  into  effect  by  Mr.  Stone  is  worthy  of 
most  careful  and  earnest  study  by  all  newspaper  men 
who  are  desirous  of  becoming  masters  in  their  line. 

As  will  be  shown  in  subsequent  chapters,  the  suc- 
cessful experience  of  The  Chicago  Daily  News  furnished 
the  inspiration  which  led  the  late  William  R.  Nelson 
to  journey  from  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  to  start  The 
Kansas  City  Star.  A  glance  at  the  first  issue  of  these 
two  newspapers  proves  the  relation. 

A  study  of  the  successful  independent  newspapers 
in  other  cities  throughout  the  country  clearly  shows 
traces  of  Chicago  Daily  News  principles  which,  with 
modifications  to  suit  local  conditions,  have  proved 
almost  uniformly  successful.  The  Philadelphia  Bulle- 
tin, Washington  Star,  Indianapolis  News,  Buffalo  News, 
New  York  Globe  and  scores  of  others  have  the  same 
strain  of  blood  in  them. 


6  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

During  the  early  days  of  The  Chicago  Daily  News, 
and  as  a  matter  of  fact  for  years  thereafter,  and  until 
broken  health  forced  him  to  retire,  Mr.  Stone  exer- 
cised the  greatest  care  in  calculating  the  news  and 
circulation  value  of  every  paragraph  he  printed. 
General  news  had  to  be  very  important  to  crowd  out 
local  news,  for  every  inch  of  space  was  precious.  Mr. 
Stone  likes  to  tell  stories  regarding  the  way  he  had 
his  editors  boil  things  down  and  how  they  estimated 
comparative  news  values,  which,  if  they  could  be 
gathered  together,  would  stand  as  most  valuable  guides 
for  editorial  efficiency  to  those  of  the  younger  school 
born  with  golden  spoons  in  their  mouths. 

As  far  as  I  know,  the  work  of  Mr.  Stone  with  The 
News  in  producing  a  complete,  condensed  newspaper 
has  been  approached  by  only  one  other  newspaper, 
The  New  York  Sun,  years  ago  when  it  consisted  of  four 
small  pages.  But  the  Stone  process  was  much  more 
complete  and  certainly  more  successful  than  that  of 
Dana  in  its  heyday. 

The  ideas  and  aims  of  Mr.  Stone  in  the  develop- 
ment of  his  newspaper,  according  to  his  own  concep- 
tions, are  best  told  by  himself : 

In  1875,  with  practically  no  money,  I  founded  The  Chicago 
Daily  News.  I  laid  down  a  course  of  conduct  which,  it  seemed  to 
me,  must  bring  success,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  it  did.  And 
yet  the  rules  adopted  at  that  time  were  in  force  in  very  few  news- 
paper offices  in  the  country,  and  unhappily  I  think  they  are  not 
all  in  force  to-day  in  many  newspaper  offices.  The  first  was  that 
the  newspaper  should  be  run  distinctly  in  the  interest  of  the 
public  and  that  the  subscriber  should  have  chief  consideration. 

It  was  recognized  that  a  newspaper  has,  in  its  editorial  depart- 
ment, three  offices  to  perform:  First,  to  print  news;  second,  to 
strive  to  guide  public  opinion  in  a  proper  direction;  and  third, 
to  furnish  entertainment.    I  use  this  order  because  I  believe  it 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  7 

to  be  the  correct  one.  I  believe  it  to  be  a  business  mistake  to 
invert  this  order  and  to  make  the  entertainment  of  the  reader  of 
supreme  importance.  I  think  the  business  of  guiding  public 
opinion,  while  it  involves  a  large  responsibility,  is,  after  all, 
secondary.  Following  this  order,  the  proper  presentation  of  the 
news  was  the  first  thing  of  consequence.  The  news  was  put  upon 
the  first  page  of  the  paper,  the  most  conspicuous  place,  and  the 
effort  made  to  present  a  true  perspective  of  the  world's  real 
developing  history. 

There  was  an  unbreakable  rule  that  nothing  should  appear  in 
the  columns  of  the  paper  which  a  young  woman  could  not  read 
aloud  in  the  presence  of  mixed  company.  My  belief  was  and  is 
that  this  was  a  proper  rule  on  purely  business  grounds.  We  had 
a  paper  in  Chicago  printing  scandals,  and  while  it  achieved  a  very 
considerable  circulation,  it  was  not  admitted  to  homes  and  there- 
fore its  value  as  an  advertising  sheet  was  of  little  consequence. 

Another  rule  was  that  the  paper  should  make  every  effort  to 
see  that  its  news  was  truthful  and  impartial,  and  if  at  any  time 
we  were  led  into  a  misstatement,  nothing  gave  me  greater  pleasure 
than  to  make  a  fair,  frank,  and  open  acknowledgment  and  apology. 
I  know  that  in  many  newspaper  offices  there  is  an  attempt  to 
convince  the  public  of  the  editor's  infallibility.  I  think  this  is  a 
mistake.  A  reputation  for  integrity  can  be  achieved  and  has 
enormous  value.  A  reputation  for  infallibility  is  hardly  possible. 
The  editor  cannot  deceive  his  readers  or  the  public.  The  news- 
paper makes  a  reputation  precisely  as  the  citizen  does.  If  your 
fellow-citizen  makes  a  mistake  about  you  and  promptly,  frankly, 
and  fully  retracts  and  apologizes,  he  grows  in  your  esteem.  If, 
on  the  other  hand,  with  knowledge  that  he  has  made  a  mis- 
statement, he  refuses  to  apologize  and  retract,  he  grows  in  your 
contempt.    And  this  is  equally  true  of  the  newspaper. 

There  were  three  rules:  First,  that  the  news  should  have  first 
place.  Second,  that  it  should  be  truthful  news,  or  if  not  truthful 
there  should  be  perfect  readiness  to  retract  and  correct  as  far  as 
possible.  The  effect  of  the  printed  word  is  very  great  and  any 
conscientious  editor  must  recognize  that,  do  what  he  will,  he  can 
never  make  full  atonement  for  a  misstatement  affecting  the 
character  of  any  man. 

The  third  rule  divorced  the  business  and  editorial  departments 
absolutely.    No  line  of  paid  reading  matter  ever  appeared  in  the 


8  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

columns  of  the  paper.  This  was  adhered  to  religiously.  Every- 
thing in  the  form  of  advertising  was  printed  as  advertising,  so 
that  the  reader  could  instantly  detect  it.  Such  were  the  rules 
regarding  the  news  service. 

We  made  it  a  rule  from  the  outset  that  neither  Mr.  Lawson 
nor  myself  should  buy  or  own  stock  in  any  public-utilities  corpora- 
tion affecting  Chicago,  and  we  made  earnest  effort  to  convince 
the  people  that  we  were  honest.  We  found  that  the  easiest  way 
to  do  this  was  to  be  honest. 

We  had  no  axes  to  grind,  no  friends  to  reward,  and  no  enemies 
to  punish.  Out  of  that  policy,  and  it  was  a  policy  which  con- 
templated building  a  paper  not  for  to-day  or  to-morrow,  but  for 
the  long  future,  came  a  development  and  growth  until  I  think 
admittedly  the  earnings  of  the  paper  to-day  exceed  those  of  any 
other  in  the  United  States. 


Probably  just  as  important  in  contributing  to  the 
ultimate  great  success  of  the  newspaper  as  its  handling 
of  the  news  and  broad  editorial  policy,  were  the 
radical  innovations  it  represented  in  its  relations  with 
advertisers  previously  referred  to.  Back  in  the  seven- 
ties a  newspaper  which  told  the  advertiser  he  could 
have  only  such  space  as  it  did  not  require  for  news  and 
other  reading  matter  was  a  distinct  novelty.  It 
would  be  a  novelty  to-day.  But  if  the  newspaper 
to-day  not  only  did  this,  but  also  demanded  rates 
insuring  a  commercially  sound  operation,  I  seriously 
think  it  would  prove  more  satisfactory  for  all  con- 
cerned. 

When  The  News  likewise  established  its  advertising 
rates  on  the  basis  of  the  same  price  to  everybody  for 
the  like  use  of  space  under  the  same  conditions,  it 
produced  another  severe  shock  to  merchants  trained 
to  dicker  through  variations  of  rebate  and  special 
concession.  Mr.  Stone  likes  to  talk  about  his  early 
experience  with  advertisers  accustomed  to  buying 


MELVILLE   E.   STONE 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING  9 

space  through  painstaking  bargaining  for  price  con- 
cession, urging  various  reasons  why  their  patronage 
was  more  necessary  to  the  newspaper  than  to  them- 
selves.   Here  is  the  way  Mr.  Stone  tells  it : 

Turning  to  the  business  department,  the  rules  were  stringent. 
It  was  recognized  that  advertising  was  a  legitimate  business.  Our 
theory  was  that  every  one  was  free  to  advertise  or  not,  precisely 
as  he  was  free  to  buy  groceries  at  a  grocery  store  or  dry  goods  at 
a  dry-goods  store. 

The  claim  sometimes  set  up  by  newspaper  proprietors  that  the 
advertiser  is  imder  some  sort  of  an  obligation  to  advertise  smacks 
of  blackmail.  In  the  early  days  of  the  paper  it  was  by  no  means 
an  imcommon  thing  for  the  business  department  to  tell  a  man 
frankly  that  he  had  better  not  advertise  in  The  News. 

With  the  earliest  issue  the  actual  paid  circulation,  day  by  day, 
was  printed  at  the  head  of  the  editorial  column  and  sworn  to. 
This  was  a  very  imcommon  thing  in  that  day.  Indeed,  I  do  not 
know  of  any  other  paper  in  the  United  States  that  did  it. 

My  belief  was  that  the  advertiser  should  be  perfectly  free  to 
advertise  or  not  to  advertise,  and  that  if  he  did  want  to  advertise 
he  had  the  same  right  to  know  the  extent  and  the  character  of 
the  circulation  of  the  paper  that  you  would  have  if  you  entered 
a  dry -goods  store  to  buy  prints  and  demanded  to  know  whether 
they  were  fast  colors,  and  a  yard  wide,  or  not.  You  had  no 
right  to  expect  him  to  buy  a  pig  in  a  bag.  Our  aim  was,  there- 
fore, to  give  the  fullest  possible  information  and  to  invite  the 
advertiser  to  verify  our  statements  by  any  method  that  might 
suggest  itself. 

Inasmuch  as  we  regarded  the  reader  of  more  value  than  the 
advertiser,  and  inasmuch  as  our  first  duty,  as  we  conceived  it, 
was  to  the  reader,  while  aiming  to  deal  fairly  with  the  advertiser 
at  all  times,  we  insisted  that  he  should  take  second  place.  We 
therefore  made  it  an  inflexible  rule  that  all  locations  of  advertising 
must  be  at  publisher's  option,  and  we  made  no  contracts  what- 
ever for  "top  of  column  next  to  reading  matter."  In  the  make- 
up of  the  paper  the  news  was  considered  paramount  and  the 
advertising  relegated  to  a  less  important  place. 

The  rule  was  also  absolute  that  there  should  be  no  cutting  of 
vates  imder  any  circumstances.    I  had  an  amusing  experience  in 


10         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

connection  with  this  matter.  After  Mr.  Victor  F.  Lawson  had 
joined  me  as  partner,  he  took  charge  of  the  business  end.  Mr. 
Lawson's  views  and  mine  were  in  thorough  accord.  The  paper 
was  young  and  struggling.  One  day  the  junior  partner  of  a 
leading  firm  in  Chicago  called  and  said  that  he  would  make  a  long- 
time contract  for  advertising  if  we  would  cut  oiir  rate  ten  per 
cent.    I  replied: 

"Cutting  rates  is  a  thing  we  have  never  done  in  the  history  of 
the  paper  and  have  said  we  would  never  do;  that  is,  we  would 
never  discriminate  between  advertisers.  But  I  recognize  the 
importance  of  your  house  and  am  willing  to  contract  with  you 
on  one  condition.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  have  but  one  rate,  so 
there  is  no  lowest  rate.  Our  rates  are  printed  and  are  uniform. 
Yet  I  will  make  you  a  ten-per-cent.  reduction  on  these  rates  upon 
the  one  condition  that  you  will  make  part  of  the  contract  that  my 
wife  may  buy  dry  goods  at  your  store  ten  per  cent,  cheaper  than 
any  other  woman  in  Chicago  and  allow  me  to  print  that  fact.'* 

"Good  Heavens!"  he  replied,  "that  would  ruin  us.  We  run  a 
one-price  store.'* 

He  left  in  a  dudgeon,  but  within  a  week  made  a  contract  upon 
the  estabHshed  rates. 


A  newspaper  that  was  about  twenty-five  years 
ahead  of  its  time,  judged  by  later  experience,  was  an 
assured  success  from  the  start  because  it  was  in- 
trinsically sound  in  every  detail.  Its  very  success,  or 
rather  the  great  rapidity  of  its  growth,  proved  most 
trying  to  those  behind  it  with  thin  pocket-books,  de- 
pendent upon  its  earnings. 

Advertisers  who  offered  four-column  advertisements 
were  told  to  cut  the  copy  to  half  a  column,  some  were 
told  that  their  advertisements  could  not  be  taken 
except  to  be  inserted  as  opportunity  occurred,  and 
much  advertising  accepted  by  all  other  newspapers 
of  that  day  was  declined  altogether  because  it  was 
deemed  objectionable  or  offensive  in  some  detail. 

Running  parallel  with  this  advertising  policy,  at 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  ii 

that  time  a  very  radical  departure,  was  the  policy 
adopted  by  The  News,  as  mentioned  by  Mr.  Stone, 
of  plainly  publishing  net  sales  day  by  day  in  monthly 
statements  on  a  strictly  commodity  basis  from  the 
start.  This  was  a  third  big  shock  to  those  who,  in 
the  past,  had  bought  advertising  on  the  strength 
of  what  they  thought  newspapers  had. 

Armed  with  but  a  single  four-cylinder  press.  The 
News  very  early  in  its  career  found  itself  unable  to 
supply  the  demand  for  papers.  Increased  costs  for 
print  paper  and  labor  which  had  to  be  met  with  spot 
cash  mounted  faster  than  it  was  possible  to  advance 
advertising  rates  and  collect  on  them. 

Inexperienced  in  modem  business  methods  as  were 
the  then  owners  of  The  News,  they  were  seriously 
embarrassed  by  their  sale  of  papers  and  advertising. 
During  this  period  Mr.  Stone  commenced  to  look 
around  for  a  partner  who  would  bring  new  capital 
and  business  abiHty  into  the  enterprise. 


II 

Mr.  Lawson  as  a  Builder 

In  casting  about  for  a  partner  who  would  help  him 
get  around  the  corner,  Mr.  Stone  thought  of  his  friend, 
Fremont  Lawson  (as  Victor  F.  Lawson  was  known  to 
his  intimates),  who,  though  a  few  years  younger,  had 
been  in  high  school  with  him.  Perhaps  he  was  in- 
fluenced by  the  fact  that  Mr.  Lawson 's  father  owned 
the  building  in  which  The  News  was  being  manvifac- 
tured.  Thus  Victor  Fremont  Lawson,  the  present 
great  editor  and  publisher  of  The  Chicago  Daily  News, 
made  his  entrance  into  journalism.  Having  founded 
a  sound  journalistic  enterprise,  Mr.  Stone  likewise 
discovered  and  started  on  his  wonderful  career  one  of 
the  most  effective  newspaper  executives  of  the  period. 
In  Victor  F.  Lawson,  Mr.  Stone  picked  a  diamond  of 
the  purest  white,  a  man  ideally  constituted  to  provide 
the  elements  of  sound  commercial  wisdom  he  lacked. 
Lawson  and  Stone  made  a  team  that  probably  stands 
unapproached  in  the  history  of  journalism. 

It  has  been  my  pleasure  to  know  these  two  great 
newspaper  men  at  very  close  range,  more  particularly 
Mr.  Lawson,  and  to  get  under  the  veneer  of  defensive 
armor  which  protects  great  men  from  the  attacks  of 
the  world,  down  to  the  real  man.  A  kindly  man,  one 
filled  with  love  of  the  fine  and  clean,  of  broad  percep- 
tion and  keenly  alive  to  the  great  possibilities  of 


VICTOR  F.   LAWSON 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  13 

growth  in  Chicago,  was  Mr.  Lawson  then,  as  he  is 
now.  Loyal  to  his  friends,  fair  to  those  opposed  to 
him,  and  resolute  in  his  purposeful  efforts  in  behalf 
of  humanity,  he  proved  a  tower  of  strength  in  the 
community. 

Mr.  Lawson  from  the  start  of  his  newspaper  career 
showed  himself  to  be  one  of  the  kind  who  believe  in 
doing  big  things  in  a  big  way.  He  gives  great  care 
to  detail  regardless  of  the  mass  of  work  ahead  of  him, 
and  yet,  like  nearly  all  really  big  men,  always  stands 
ready  to  do  more  and  take  on  more  than  he  really 
should  with  proper  consideration  for  his  health  and 
strength.  Mr.  Lawson,  by  training,  inclination,  and 
intense  desire,  was  the  unique  man  necessary  to 
rescue  The  News  from  the  critical  position  in  which  it 
found  itself  by  reason  of  its  spontaneous  growth  at  a 
pace  beyond  its  ability  to  dig  enough  coal  to  keep  the 
wheels  going  at  top  speed.  Mr.  Lawson  became  a 
partner  of  Mr.  Stone  and  took  up  the  duties  of  busi- 
ness manager  in  1879.  All  of  the  ideals  established 
in  making  The  News  different  from  other  newspapers 
appealed  very  strongly  to  Mr.  Lawson  and  have  been 
religiously  adhered  to  by  him  in  the  forty  years  that 
have  followed. 

Meanwhile  Mr.  Stone  had  devoted  his  life's  energy 
to  the  upbuilding  of  The  News  until  his  doctors  told 
him,  after  repeated  trips  to  Europe  and  other  places 
for  rest,  that  he  must  either  quit  or  die  in  his  tracks. 
He  sold  his  interest  in  his  newspaper  and  took  a  long 
rest,  but  the  smell  of  printers'  ink  brought  him  back 
to  a  task  for  which  he  was  probably  the  best  equipped 
man  in  the  country.  The  same  high  order  of  ability 
which  had  enabled  him  to  make  The  News  a  great 
newsipsLpev  was  required  to  make  the  Associated  Press 


14  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

the  great  and  efficient  organization  it  is.  To  Mr. 
Stone,  working  again  in  practically  double  harness 
with  his  old  partner,  Victor  F.  Lawson,  we  owe  more 
than  to  any  other  man  or  men  the  present  Associated 
Press. 

Two  great  fundamental  principles  were  adopted  by 
Victor  P.  Lawson  years  ago  when  he  entered  the 
newspaper  business  and  started  laying  a  sound  busi- 
ness foundation  for  The  News.  These  principles 
should  be  known  to  every  newspaper  worker,  for  the 
nearer  he  can  stick  to  their  rigid  enforcement,  the 
easier  it  will  be  to  secure  success.  These  reforms — for 
they  were  radical  departures  at  the  time — did  much  to 
give  advertisers  absolute  confidence  in  The  News. 
They  made  it  stand  out  in  strong  relief  as  one  of  the 
high  spots  in  the  mass  of  daily  newspapers  which 
continued  to  sell  mystery  at  the  best  rates  they  could 
get.  The  News  was  one  of  the  first  newspapers  that  sold 
advertising  as  a  commodity  on  a  one-price  standard. 

Regardless  of  much  pretense  to  the  contrary,  there 
are  still  too  many  newspapers  which  have  not  seen 
the  advantages  to  be  gained  by  establishing  and 
adhering  to  these  basic  principles  of  honesty  and 
fair  play.  Wherever  these  principles  have  been  put 
through  and  soundly  established,  regardless  of  tem- 
porary losses,  the  newspaper  has  won  a  notable 
success.  The  strictly  one-rate  and  known-circulation 
newspapers  get  the  bulk  of  foreign  business  in  nearly 
every  case.  Advertisers,  after  trying  every  dodge 
known  to  human  ingenuity  to  break  down  rates  when 
they  find  their  efforts  futile,  prefer  to  do  business  where 
they  are  confident  they  are  buying  advertising  space 
as  cheaply  as  any  one  else  for  a  like  volume  in  similar 
circumstances. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  15 


THE    CHICAGO    DAILY    NEWS. 


•  1     i  i  ■ 


i6  NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

You  don't  hear  any  discussion  regarding  either  the 
rates  or  circulation  of  The  Philadelphia  Bulletin, 
Kansas  City  Star,  Washington  Star,  New  York  World, 
New  York  Times,  Chicago  Tribune,  Indianapolis  News, 
and  other  newspapers  which  have  won  dominant 
positions  by  rigidly  estabhshing  their  right  to  be 
classed  as  one-rate  and  known-circulation  news- 
papers. 

It  takes  manhood  and  nerve  to  build  on  such  a 
foundation,  when  forced  to  compete  with  those  who, 
temporarily,  at  least,  appear  to  get  away  with  the 
goods  by  misrepresentation  and  conversation,  but  in 
the  long  run  it  pays  in  dollars  and  cents.  To  refuse 
contracts  at  a  time  when  every  additional  dollar  of 
revenue  looks  as  big  as  the  Statue  of  Liberty,  just 
because  there  is  some  string  attached  to  them  which 
spells  price  concession,  may  seem  foolish  to  some,  but 
it  is  the  surest  way  to  success. 

The  Chicago  Daily  News  has  always  maintained  the 
high  standards  as  a  newspaper  set  by  Mr.  Stone,  has 
added  features  and  sound  departments  to  the  stem, 
and  has  maintained  expensive  European  and  foreign 
connections  of  its  own,  culminating  in  the  Great  War 
News  Service  which  Mr.  Lawson  himself  describes  in 
a  later  chapter.  Probably  one  hundred  thousand 
additional  circulation  was  put  on  by  the  publication 
of  the  product  of  forty  exclusive  correspondents  at 
world  centers  and  with  the  great  armies. 

Mr.  Lawson  years  ago  realized  the  great  value  of 
good  features  as  an  element  of  newspaper  individuality 
and  strength,  and  has  always  sought  to  get  the  best 
and  strongest  for  his  newspaper,  almost  regardless  of 
expense.  He  regularly  buys  three  or  four  times  as 
much;as.he  can  .print  in  order  to  ha^^e  a  wide  selection 


CHICAGO  DAILY  NEWS. 


TOL  J.    KO.  I. 


CHICAOO,  TUURSDAT,  DBTESOJEU  30,  IKX 


rRiCK,  OKS  CDrr. 


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2  O'clock 


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NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 


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i8          NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

Mr.  Lawson  has  always  been  so  firmly  convinced  that 
his  paper  must  have  all  the  news  and  the  most  reliable 
news,  believing  the  idea  back  of  the  Associated  Press 
was  the  correct  process  for  getting  it,  that  he  spared 
no  effort  with  Mr.  Stone  to  make  this  great  news 
organization  what  it  is  to-day. 

From  early  days  The  News  has  been  the  principal 
want  medium  of  Chicago.  At  dozens  of  central 
distributing  points  hundreds  of  men  can  be  seen  every 
day  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  delivery -wagons  with 
the  various  editions  to  glance  over  the  advertisements 
and  rush  madly  after  the  jobs. 

As  a  product  The  Chicago  Daily  News  represents 
about  as  big  a  **one  cent's  worth"  as  can  be  made. 
It  presents  all  the  news,  plenty  of  exclusive  news,  a 
selection  of  the  very  best  features  obtainable,  sound 
and  sympathetic  editorials,  numerous  informatory 
departments,  all  the  news  of  the  big  stores  in  its 
advertisements,  and  practically  all  the  wants  of  the 
people  in  its  classified  columns.  From  twenty-four 
to  thirty-two  pages,  full  eight-column  pages,  thirteen 
ems  wide  and  304  lines  deep,  crammed  full  of  live  read- 
ing matter  and  advertisements  make  a  newspaper 
which  stands  almost  unequaled  for  human  interest, 
public  service,  and  genuine  value. 

For  the  benefit  of  any  one  interested  in  the  circula- 
tion growth  of  a  great  daily  newspaper  for  a  period 
of  forty  years,  the  figures  for  The  News  are  presented 
in  the  table  from  January,  1877,  to  and  including 
December,  1916.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  figures 
show  lapses  once  in  a  very  long  time  for  some  im- 
portant cause,  such  as  the  strike  of  191 2,  but  The  News 
each  month  for  forty  years  has  plainly  stated  its  net 
paid  circulation  in  detail  day  by  day  and  month  by 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  19 

month,  regardless  of  what  the  figures  showed.  As 
far  as  I  know,  these  figures  stand  as  a  record  unique 
in  the  history  of  American  joumaHsm — definite, 
willingly  proved  circulation  month  by  month  for 
forty  years.  Here  is  a  lasting  monument  to  the 
solidity  of  the  newspaper  edifice  erected  by  Mr. 
Lawson — The  Chicago  Daily  News, 


Ill 

Colonel  Nelson  and  The  Star 

Founded  in  1880,  The  Kansas  City  Star  had  as  its 
inspiration  the  program  of  The  Chicago  Daily  News. 
By  comparison  of  the  appearance  of  the  first  issues 
of  the  two  great  newspapers,  the  close  resemblance 
of  father  and  child  will  be  clearly  seen.  Colonel 
William  R.  Nelson,  founder  of  The  Star^  while  con- 
nected with  a  newspaper  in  Fort  Wayne,  visited 
Chicago  and  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  such 
a  newspaper  in  a  central  West  city  of  great  promise. 
Colonel  Nelson  liked  to  put  it  this  way:  '*The  Star 
is  made  for  those  who  pay  ten  cents  a  week  for  it." 
The  ten  cents  a  week  idea  of  Colonel  Nelson  has 
been  a  striking  individual  feature  of  The  Star.  At 
first  it  was  a  small  four-page  paper  for  ten  cents  a 
week.  Later  it  came  to  an  evening  and  Sunday  news- 
paper for  ten  cents  a  week.  And  finally  it  became  a 
morning,  evening,  and  Sunday  newspaper,  thirteen 
issues,  for  ten  cents  a  week.  The  growth  to  over 
200,000  net-paid  circulation  every  morning  for  The 
Times  J  200,000  every  evening  for  The  Star — over  400, 
000  a  day,  with  the  Sunday  edition  at  close  to  250, 
000,  proves  that  the  people  will  support  the  right  sort 
of  a  newspaper  when  given  the  opportunity. 

It  has  always  been  The  Star's  policy  to  go  quietly 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  21 

on  its  way,  giving  its  readers  the  best  paper  that  could 
be  produced,  and  consistently  ignoring  competition 
or  abuse. 

One  of  the  most  important  principles  of  successful 
newspaper-making  was  imparted  to  me  several  years 
ago  by  Colonel  Nelson  in  these  words : 

**  Don't  let  the  other  fellow  make  your  newspaper. 
Make  your  own  newspaper  just  as  good  as  you  can 
every  day,  and  if  it  shows  progress  you  are  on  the 
right  trail." 

The  Kansas  City  Star  stands  as  notable  evidence  of 
the  soundness  of  this  reasoning.  Look  at  any  copy 
and  study  it  well.  It  is  essentially  different  from  any 
other  daily  newspaper  in  the  world.  It  has  as  strong 
an  individuality  as  a  Napoleon  Bonaparte  or  a  George 
Washington.  This  is  saying  much  for  a  newspaper, 
for  as  a  ride  there  is  such  a  wonderful  sameness  about 
them  that  very  slight  differences  distinguish  even  the 
sane  from  the  yellow  journals.  In  nearly  every 
strongly  competitive  field,  editors  involuntarily  edit 
their  papers  under  the  influence  of  proneness  to 
imitation.  For  example,  if  one  publication  starts  a 
school  page  and  makes  headway  with  it,  the  other 
papers  are  almost  certain  to  follow.  If  a  sporting 
feature  is  played  up  by  one  competitor,  the  others 
quickly  fall  into  line. 

This  willingness  to  imitate  and  failure  to  create  new 
ideas  inflict  wastefulness  in  many  instances.  The 
copy  is  seldom  as  meritorious  as  the  original,  and,  if 
every  publication  in  town  is  but  a  reflection  of  the 
others,  the  people  who  buy  the  product  must  experi- 
ence difficulty  in  selecting  one  in  preference  to  the 
other.  There  is  such  a  broad  field  for  making  news- 
papers which  will  possess  individuality  and  command 


22         NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

respect  and  confidence  that  there  is  no  reason  for 
resort  to  dupHcation. 

Colonel  Nelson  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  idea  that, 
in  addition  to  the  news,  which  he  would  go  to  the 
limit  to  get,  and  sound  and  informatory  editorials, 
the  odd  comers  of  The  Star  should  be  filled  with  the 
best  clippings  obtainable.  His  contention  was  that 
with  a  world  of  literature  from  which  to  select  he 
could  find  something  to  print  of  greater  merit  than 
many  things  he  would  produce  in  his  own  office.  The 
fact  that  The  Star  has  a  circulation  within  a  few 
thousand  of  the  population  of  Kansas  City  indicates 
that  most  people  out  that  way  felt  as  he  did  about 
the  matter. 

Look  at  The  Star  again  and  you  may  find  a  clipping 
from  The  London  Lancet  printed  alongside  of  the 
leading  editorial  of  the  day.  On  the  other  hand,  as 
like  as  not  you  will  find  an  editorial  alongside  the 
leading  news  of  the  day.  If  Colonel  Nelson  had  a 
bell-ringer  to  launch  in  favor  of  some  great  national 
or  local  movement  or  a  call  to  arms  against  some 
corporation  steal,  he  wanted  every  one  to  see  it,  what- 
ever else  was  missed,  so  he  placed  it  at  the  top  of  the 
front  page. 

When  I  called  on  Colonel  Nelson  in  191 1  to  invite 
him  to  become  a  founder  of  the  Associated  News- 
papers, designed  to  enable  a  group  of  non-competitive 
evening  newspapers  to  obtain  better  feature  matter 
of  the  sort  we  wanted  on  a  co-operative  basis,  he  saw 
the  thing  in  a  minute  and  remarked:  **You  can  count 
me  in  if  you  are  going  to  get  the  best." 

On  a  visit  a  short  time  before  his  final  illness,  the 
Colonel  unfolded  a  wonderful  plan  of  articles  and 
asked  me  to  try  to  procure  them  for  a  strong  group 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  23 

of  papers,  saying:  "This  stuff  will  sell  the  papers 
like  a  whirlwind  and  be  the  best  thing  we  have  ever 
printed.  I  want  it  for  the  first  two  columns  of  the 
front  page  if  it  is  right.  I  don't  want  it  unless  it  is 
right.  Count  on  me  up  to  $  i  ,000  a  week  if  necessary. '  * 
Various  conditions  prevented  the  realization  of  his 
idea,  but  the  way  he  put  the  proposition  illustrates 
his  way  of  doing  things. 

Millions  of  money  have  been  sunk  in  Kansas  City 
trying  to  establish  another  newspaper  and  to  run  The 
Star  off  the  map  without  making  any  other  impres- 
sion than  increasing  The  Star's  circulation.  The  com- 
petitors have  always  assumed  that  the  people  of 
Kansas  City  wanted  a  better  paper  than  The  Star^  or 
else  have  tried  to  imitate  it.  The  result  was  the 
same — The  Star  never  recognized  any  of  them  to  the 
extent  of  knowing  that  they  existed,  regardless  of  how 
hard  and  violently  the  new-comer  abused  it  or  its 
owner. 

My  contact  with  Colonel  Nelson  furnished  much 
of  the  background  for  the  development  of  The  New 
York  Globe.  His  influence  transmitted  to  our  edi- 
torial force  by  continuous  pounding  caused  us  to 
make  The  Globe  different  from  other  New  York  news- 
papers. We  have  set  our  own  pace,  fixed  our  own 
goal,  advancing  steadily  to  higher  points  of  circulation 
and  advertising  without  a  material  reverse. 

Nearly  four  years  ago  we  started  our  food  campaign, 
which,  after  three  years  of  hard  plugging,  turned  out 
to  be  a  success,  resulting  in  greater  circulation  and  ul- 
timately in  advertising  gains.  Then  we  published  the 
*' Bedtime  Stories,"  got  Burgess,  the  creator  of  Peter 
Rabbit,  for  the  Associated  Newspapers  and  made  a 
big  winner.    I  could  mention  many  similar  successes. ' 


24  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

In  every  city  and  town  there  is  opportunity  for 
newspapers  to  pick  out  sufficient  reasons  for  existence 
without  encroaching  on  or  imitating  others.  If  you 
have  not  in  your  organization  abiHty  to  seize  this 
opportunity,  the  sooner  you  seek  it  and  take  it  on 
the  better  your  prospects  will  become.  Every  time 
you  get  well  started  on  some  big  worth-while  enter- 
prise of  popular  interest,  the  public  gives  you  credit 
for  success,  regardless  of  whether  the  other  fellow 
follows  in  to  try  to  steal  some  of  the  glory  or  not. 

Even  in  the  very  small  town  I  would  map  out  a 
series  of  local  improvements  which,  when  put  over, 
would  make  my  paper  respected  and  looked  upon  as 
the  most  powerful  institution  in  the  community  for 
civic  improvement.  Do  not  think  for  a  moment  that 
any  big  thing  can  be  done  without  treading  upon  some 
one's  toes,  and  perhaps  the  temporary  loss  of  adver- 
tising. In  the  long  run  the  advertiser  who  thinks  he 
controls  a  newspaper  is  not  a  good  patron,  and  the 
sooner  he  is  brought  to  a  proper  realization  of  this 
the  better. 

In  the  case  of  The  Globe,  we  probably  lost  $100,000 
of  advertising  in  19 13,  through  the  adverse  influence 
of  traffickers  in  injurious  foods.  We  were  not  able 
to  put  our  fingers  on  any  definite  proof,  but  we  know 
the  influence  existed  and  was  exercised.  After 
eighteen  months'  fight,  the  fakers,  realizing  that  they 
could  not  stop  us,  just  quit,  and  our  advertising 
greatly  increased. 

The  words  of  confidence  and  inspiration  of  Colonel 
Nelson  stood  us  in  good  stead  at  that  time.  The 
Colonel's  advice:  "If  you  know  you  are  right,  stick  it 
out  and  the  people  will  stick  to  you,"  encouraged  us 
to  go  ahead  despite  seemingly  impossible  business 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  25 

THE   KAKSAS    CITY  STAR.  m» 

NO.  !!«•  '  *ANSAS  CJTl-.  JUXE  i.  19r7.-«OM)AT  EIGHTEEN  PAGES  PRICE  ZSSS^ii^rSSr 


26  NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

prospects  before  us.  Too  many  newspaper  men  have 
run  before  less  dangerous-looking  clouds  on  the 
horizon,  and  scored  failure  when  they  might  have  won 
success  by  sticking  it  out. 

Few  publishers  have  been  able  to  secure  success 
without  aggressiveness  or  offending  some  one  to  the 
extent  of  temporary  loss  of  business.  Even  in  the 
most  conservative  institutions  I  have  visited  there 
have  been  frank  confessions  that  they  have  had  to 
forego  certain  advertising  from  time  to  time  when  the 
advertisers  sought  to  dictate  what  the  newspaper 
should  do  under  certain  conditions. 

Some  very  interesting  glimpses  of  Colonel  Nelson's 
newspaper  methods  and  purposes  are  given  in  a 
memorial  book  of  his  life,  written  by  members  of  the 
staff  of  The  Kansas  City  Star  and  printed  by  the 
Riverside  Press,  of  Cambridge,  in  19 15  for  private 
circulation,  from  which  I  make  extracts. 

The  Kansas  City  Star  first  appeared  on  September 
18,  1880,  from  an  office  at  407-409  Delaware  Street, 
consisting  of  four  small  pages  of  six  narrow  columns 
each.  The  following  extract  is  from  an  editorial 
in  Vol.  I,  No.  I : 

It  is  the  commercial  center  of  the  great  Missouri  Valley,  and 
no  city  in  the  country  contains  within  itself  greater  possibiHties 
or  offers  brighter  prospects  for  the  future.  No  city  in  the  land  is 
growing  more  rapidly  or  attracting  more  attention  in  all  quarters. 
It  is  universally  conceded  that  Kansas  City  in  a  very  few  years 
will  be  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  cities  in  America. 
Having  entire  confidence  in  the  future  of  this  city.  The  Evening 
Star  enters  the  field  without  a  doubt  it  will  achieve  unqualified 
success  and  in  a  very  short  time  become  one  of  the  recognized 
institutions  of  Kansas  City. 

The  price  of  the  paper  was  two  cents  a  copy.     The 


f te  MmM  fifi  f umini  BUt 


VOL  L  NO.  1. 


SATURDAY,  SFPTEJBER  18,  1880.    , 


PRICE,  TWO  CENTSv. 


BUSINESS  TOPICS 

•  MriclT  «A  [    nil    .  Mrf  iWt  lail^  _ 


WELVE  O'CLOCK. 


YELLOW  JACK 
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AQDmONAL  CRT  HIWS. 


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THE  GREAT  SHOW. 


Sp!end«d  Atuactiont  Prom- 
iMd»A  Uargc  Crowd 


itkt  Opolv 


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THREE  O'CLOCK 


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PvJ.jj*l.,l.o«w,)J     TERpiBLK  DISASTER. 

coaiacaraaacll  taa  W{, 


VlVSla. 

^  Si^i»W^rt»r^  YiliLi.     Il»m 
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qtianloaa     of      food        and        M^gji 
to  ^bi.  ■kTiiak'!^      "'aa.'"lnj'7 


nat  Iba  alaaiic  iprtog;   abaala  of 

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flMaaila.    H«d«ar«M«L  akkal  aMad. 


ibadiTlaadl 
aalai^aab 

ra^k:"? 


THE  EVENPiG  STAll 

A  Paper  for  th.»  Pi-oplC" 


LaiMtamja 


IMI.:n>a>raa<i 


fcAIlROAD  TIME  TABLE 
-XifeSAS  err  union  i 

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Atott*  iua«  k  AMkt  laMi^an 


>•  ••»  atoi;  to  lUlMl   'Tl»r 


UTmmAIi.    0«ito| 


A  SOLICITORS  SORROWS 


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-         JuMaCtotototoA.to  kS 


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*^ir. 


\TJCJr. 


I'H^airto'i^'i 


cltrli  A*  ywn.  ^W  ftci  ikit  la  ^i« 


HKWAITER' 


It  «kc  lownt  yric*  load  a^ 
iiaa  on  tka  market  It  & 
■afa,  danUc  aod  atailr  aM^ 

Quarantsed  to  worR 

well  and  givo  the  full 

power  claimed. 

Haotfraila  of  thnrtadaas 
arc  la  aacceakAil  oparatlo^ 
drivincaottooflna.  cix^  okUl^ 
•ood  lawa,  (ralo  cItTatara. 
priatiof  praaiaa  aad  vaffiaiM 


Tho«ew4«hift|«tetei  p»wr 
hould  write  u*  fbr  ottr  4^ 
criptire  pamphlet,  ii(h||eb  Im 
est  Ctm  om  appUcatlftn. 

JAMES  LEFFELA  00., 


Two  tat  Piw! 

raMiikikiiit    »ii,»a»a— 

The  Evening  Star 


■>    -)  '1  J 


•vaswtst..... 


THE  CITY. 


.  TW  BKaMr  M>  Ml  Ite  lipal 


•^O^Klt  LMlnCi.  ha,  AMI. 
a.  F   1   liiii.  «•  Mtitea 

Vm  tk  kaar  kr  •  atM  Dm  ■>  U. 
•m>  M>.  M  ikf  a,  ;«.liT  > 

ijtSrM'M^J.Ilk.  I.  O. 

Ta  w  i.»i»»mi«n»*  1^  cwito 
SS7m  .r  oMiifM  M  «>ta. 


'  Mr  «.  t  NaAai.  •«  •>  a>  I 
hTdir  •  (MlViw  Omm  Una 

hMWarMM4iMia«. 


n  MM  •  MM'i  a««>aM  ••  iMo'a 


ZyS"  «?iJT£3',S.^ 


••  itM  iMM  an  Ctoir  » 

*■>•»<■  FM  KM  •«  TiMI 
»  H—  .CT.»  »«»  liliiiil 


CALL  AND   EXAMINE 

SPECIAL  BARGAINS 

FANCY  DRY  GOODS, 

CLOAKS  AND  NOTIONS 

en  A  823  MAIN  ST.,  COR  STII. 


>si  8urk  If  UAa  Faa>r  CUart  CWHa 
rut  Onllnn^  Ira.  f,.^  r«M  lU 
OuiVwB'  KaUM  Waal  luirbw    ''  • 


•  I         • 


*»>iCliMiicln  ^»»'lll|lll. 
^  >  inrlil  1. 1>«  M  '«fi>«lili|>m. 

•nal  ii"iliTillit  dfj  •tun>;'n<rMlin 


-ft:;si-. 


SiiSMa«.M»Vtow..rt.Mtar  ai^ 

I  i««M  iMr.TJcii.  araMli  ar  invr. 
;i^»raHtl..>lr~.ilH«.a^t*<a 


•ai  ■•  Itaa  iMfM  haaa.  OaMa  Da*. 
^  U.  CnMla  M  •<  laaMa  dIaMcA 


d;  Ho.  lUi.  tUi.  Ult. 
Maamalka  lusiat  > 


1351 


•TWt.'S-'.rxsx'ar,- 


Ft;^H«SODUW 


kTH, 


t  Ta*  to  brkla^  > 


^xr^ 


WaoISm* 
Okr.  «  Lanal  Pit 


ROLL,  THAVER  &  WILLIAMS. 

»JI  Md  Bj3  M«ill^.  Cor.  9tll,  lUnMt  City. 


THEMOST  POPULAR  DRYGOODS 
HOUSE  IN  TOWN. 

Purchasers  of  Dry  Goods  of  any  descfip. 
tion  wha,tever- should  not  think -of  pur- 
chasing  anything  without  previously  ex. 
amining  bur  gdods.and  prices. 

aJBGAU8E.-Wc  al.wajT.  keep  a  Lwgcr  8toclt-W« 
always  haye  a  larger  trade— In  medjum  andlowpiUad' 
Dry  Goods  than  any  other  house  in  the  Oitf 

BECAUBE-No- matter  what  kind  Of  Sty'Ooad* 
you  want,  EUjrh  >rtce<l.  Medium  or  Cheap,  we  giva 
yua  a  better  quality  for  your  money  thaa  you  oaa 
procure  elsewhere. 

BECAUSE  -Tou  taVe  no  ««k»  whatever  ta  pur- 
haeing  goods  of  Os.  ax  we  are  al  ways  ready  to  Refiiiul 
the  Money  if  groods  ard'not  as  represented 

BECAUSE -Tou- are>alway»  sure  \>f  p«Ute  and/ 
prompt  attention.  Vou  are  always  welcome  to  Ex-' 
amine  what  we  offer  without  tho  Sligbtost  Obliga- 
tion to  PisAase.  Tou  are  more  likely  to  find  Justt 
what  vou  want  than  at  any  other  store,  and 

BECAUSE  OUR   PRICES  ARE  AL 
VVAYS  THE  LOWEST 

G.  y.  SMITH  &  CO.. 

^t  m  711  HAIll  (tRXR. 


H''^fvK27.n;''niJa..iiiiii5 


ics,'!Js.'';?n!r»s,'{Ci' 

gw»»»uM«fo2jrs»S 


i^urii^raf 


^SSSSilifiTjXr.! 


323SL-- 


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••Ai!l3T85V-i-:»"WTS 


Si'l^^'tvtBft'T'ffiaiil.'EI 


W':25t?wJ2-«."w:;»-£.: 


J?^'^;t-W!KlikVvr 


ISl^^.'ragag-!^.''^ 


W*8ffiti'SS!l»caS'5L«i; 


w^l^^rJJK^v^ 


HK.^  L  l»rATE.  JtkLNTAL. 
rniAXCIAI.  AUKXTC. 

C/i/nJs  errr,  aro 


A  CARD  TO  THE  PUBLIC. 


Kantat  City.  M».,  Septanbtt.  1880. 


n«  hS  Mara  If  rtgkt  ipn  rtt— 
Is  la  aainiac  r«g  t«  hralik  ^oar  bc^a  «tu  vara  aa<  atk 
itaatlaL  aa  *aU  aa  bahlmtblt  cluktat.  *UI  ba  of  balp  l«  jaa.  A 
laag  tai  tadlaaa  Jaanajr  ta  Ua  ua^'tiAraat  elMUif  kaiaaa  la  av 
cttf .  aaat  ba  Tar;  dlaafrMabla.  ud  wa  tlrlaa  yaa  br  all  ntai  M 


claUiliig  ta  mtsj  jmn.  ui  tMa  fall  ev  aaaartmaat  la  ttllj  4mNs: 
of  aay  prtrUtai  taaaoi.  aad  ar>  aak  roa  lapadallr  to  glra  »a- 
kaovlaf  that  wa  *U1  oaa  av  b«t  eadtaron  u  saka  It  katk' 
pratttbla  a*4  plaaaat  for  yoo.  ?r»  toaa^tka  aida^ra  aala  la  tUs, 
cltj~  of  Oarban.  Wkitlbrd  a  Ca.  Naw  Tork  City  Bad*  odUrm't 
OotkUig^  Aak  for  tkiaa  r»b.  as4  If  joa  bayaftkalr  uka  vafWOH 
aitaa  tkat  tkaj  vlll  act  rtp  aal  aaarr  battoa  la  vail  aa*«l  01.1  Ikiy 
J7  taa  baat  of  Ualigi  asd  ao  iaparlaoaa  {aady  tilaala|a  Va 
ijao  tba aiclaalra aab otatala.  Adlar  *  Oaa  Boja"  aal  Taatk'a 
atar  City  nada  dottlac.    Wkatvaaal 


la  Baa'a  waar,  «a  a««  aall  alaoat  aidailraly  DaUBanlaack 
Brotkata'  Naw  Iwk  caatom  tiada  datblag.  Tbatr  laaka  aat  Stall. 
Adlar  *  Oo.'a  an  e<|iial  in  B•^tallt  tatlon'  work  la  Itatjlaaaldara- 
bUlt;  Wa  aJ»  witk  I  ■  aay  to  ro*  l^t  \U  tltfui  allTar  wara  w* 
hara  kirear  aaxt  di.iwii«  is  bara.  It  U  wortk  a  taa  allarlda  taiaalt. 

Wkatwaaak  jaaluDwtloaafoaritack  It  UJar<ar>aid  batt«. 
Maartad  tkas  aj  tkraa  ilbar  itoaka  la  aar  dtj. 

Wa  aall  atrletlr  at  Oaa  Prle»  od  aaarr  artlda  la  fhlily  aarksl  ttl 
aalllac  pnca-poaitlraly  so  dtviatioa  ud  aar  prleta  ara  alwtja  tk^' 
lawaaL  * 

Oaraalaa  U  tIM  wUl  ba  raUjr  twaty  ikoaitad  f«lls-Ua  tat  tl^ 
daaaa  tkat  ou  aftrta  ara  ap^idatal ' 
Vary  ll»pa«tfaUy.» 

HAMMERSLOUGH    &    CO.. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  27 

price  of  the  other  papers  was  five  cents.  There  were 
few  pennies  in  circulation  in  the  West  then;  a  nickel 
was  the  smallest  coin  in  general  use,  and  it  was  difficult 
for  the  newsboys  to  get  hold  of  enough  pennies  to 
make  change.  So  Colonel  Nelson  brought  to  town  a 
keg  of  cent-pieces  bright  from  the  mint,  and  the  news- 
boys were  provided  for. 

The  paper  had  a  good  circulation  from  the  start. 
At  the  end  of  its  first  month  The  Star  announced  that 
it  had  "a  great  many  more  readers  in  Kansas  City 
than  any  other  paper  published  here."  But  that 
very  increase  in  circulation  made  the  problems  of  its 
publication  more  difficult  because,  as  subscribers  in- 
creased, cost  of  printing  went  up  and  the  income  from 
advertising  did  not  keep  pace  with  expense.  The  new 
paper  was  pushed  to  make  both  ends  meet. 

The  small  capital  which  the  young  publisher  pos- 
sessed soon  melted  away.  Then  he  had  to  borrow 
from  his  friends  back  in  Indiana,  where  he  had 
established  a  good  credit.  Without  this  credit,  he 
said  in  after  years,  he  must  have  failed.  But  he  never 
lost  confidence.  He  felt  from  the  outset  that  he 
would  succeed  if  he  could  keep  his  credit  from  "sawing 
his  legs  off,"  as  he  put  it,  before  he  had  had  a  fair 
chance.     The  struggle  lasted  four  years. 

The  thing  he  most  needed  was  a  press  with  capacity 
sufficient  to  print  quickly  the  copies  demanded  by  the 
circulation.  The  old  press  with  which  he  started  was 
incapable  of  doing  it.  It  was  strained  to  its  utmost 
every  day  and  still  it  fell  short  of  the  demand.  One 
day  the  agent  of  the  Potter  perfecting  press  came  to 
town.  Under  the  spur  of  his  presence  the  editor 
laid  his  problem  before  Colonel  Kersey  Coates,  at 
that  time  the  town's  most  progressive  and  far-seeing 


28  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

citizen,  and  Coates  helped  him  to  borrow  at  the  bank 
the  five  thousand  dollars  necessary  to  make  the  first 
payment.  The  press  was  installed  September  i8, 
1884,  the  fourth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the 
paper.  That  day  marked  the  beginning  of  The  Star's 
larger  success. 

The  Star  began  with  one  standard — public  service. 
Everything  was  secondary  to  that.  From  its  first 
issue  its  editor  used  it  to  serve  Kansas  City  with  all 
his  might,  and  in  no  way  was  it  more  effectively  done 
than  in  his  continuous  fight,  through  thirty-five  years, 
in  the  cause  of  good  government  for  city,  county. 
State,  and  nation.  The  first  city  election  in  the 
experience  of  The  Star  came  in  the  spring  of  1881, 
seven  months  after  its  founding.  March  loth  of 
that  year,  under  the  caption  *'The  City  Election," 
The  Star  said : 

The  Star  has  no  axe  to  grind,  no  candidate  to  elect,  no  party  to 
serve.  Its  only  interest  is  in  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  Kansas 
City  and  the  proper  administration  of  the  city  government.  It 
is  for  the  best  men,  entirely  regardless  of  party.  It  is,  however, 
forced  to  admit  that  most  of  the  men  who  are  seeking  nominations 
from  both  parties  are  utterly  unfit  for  the  positions  to  which  they 
aspire.  Briefless  barristers,  to  whom  no  sane  man  would  entrust 
a  lawsuit  involving  five  dollars,  want  to  be  city  attorney.  Irre- 
sponsible and  incapable  men,  whom  no  one  would  think  of  selecting 
for  cashier  or  bookkeeper,  ask  for  the  city  treasurership.  Ignorant 
peddlers  of  whiskey  aspire  for  the  city  council.  Such  of  these 
men  who  seek  nominations  may  expect  The  Star  will  tell  the  truth 
about  them.  The  voters  of  the  city  have  a  right  to  know  all  the 
facts  as  to  the  character  and  capacity  of  those  who  ask  their 
suffrage.    These  they  cannot  find  in  their  party  organs. 

Countless  instances  might  be  related  of  Mr.  Nel- 
son's instinctive  and  reasoned  democracy  and  sense  of 


m 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  29 

fair  play.  The  Workmen's  Compensation  Bill  was  in 
the  Missouri  Legislature.  Wealthy  and  powerful  men 
sought  to  stop  his  vigorous  fight  for  it.  They  said 
they  would  be  ''ruined."  "I  am  never  afraid  that 
the  men  on  top  of  the  mine  cannot  take  care  of  them- 
selves," he  said.  "My  concern  is  for  the  men  at  the 
bottom  of  the  mine,  digging  the  coal." 

If  a  poem  by  Rudyard  Kipling  or  a  story  by  S.  G. 
Blythe  was  the  most  interesting  thing  that  came  into 
the  office  on  a  day,  his  instructions  were  to  "play  it 
up"  on  the  first  page. 

As  a  result  of  his  experience  in  politics  and  business 
he  was  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  two  reforms 
whose  importance  had  not  been  widely  noticed.  He 
felt  that  to  permit  the  legitimate  expenses  of  elections 
to  be  borne  by  private  persons  gave  the  power  to  big 
interests — ^public-service  corporations,  saloons,  pro- 
tected industries,  and  the  like — to  control  the  Govern- 
ment through  their  financing  of  elections.  As  to  the 
courts,  he  became  convinced  that  as  long  as  lawyers 
were  privately  paid,  legal  proceedings  would  be  merely 
trials  of  skill,  with  the  advantage  on  the  side  of  the 
money.  So  he  desired  that  the  Government  pay  all 
election  expenses  and  that  it  employ  the  lawyers  and 
make  them  paid  officers  of  the  State,  just  as  the 
judge  is. 

Several  years  before  his  death  he  issued  a  letter  to 
The  Star's  staff.  Several  passages  are  typical  of  the 
views  he  was  always  emphasizing: 

The  loss  of  a  local  election  has  never  been  a  matter  of  very 
serious  concern  to  The  Star,  which  constantly  is  occupied  with 
greater  things  than  filling  offices  and  is  concerned  in  election 
results  only  as  they  accelerate  or  retard  those  more  important 
purposes. 


30  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

In  the  permanent  things,  both  great  and  small,  with  which 
The  Star  is  engaged,  every  one  having  a  part  in  its  production 
should  have  a  hand.  Every  one  should  clearly  understand  those 
purposes  and  have  them  constantly  in  mind,  so  that  no  news  or 
information  or  influence  bearing  upon  any  of  them  shall  be  over- 
looked or  disregarded. 

Every  reporter,  every  writer,  every  desk  man  should  regard 
each  of  these  subjects  as  a  continuous  assignment  in  which  the 
best  interest  of  the  paper  is  concerned.  And,  in  general,  every  one 
should  strive  to  furnish  ideas  and  suggestions;  to  find  new  oppor- 
tunities for  the  paper's  active  service;  new  features  of  interest; 
new  ways  of  doing  things. 

He  set  forth  his  views  on  both  these  questions  at 
length  in  a  letter  to  his  friend,  Theodore  Roosevelt, 
in  1 91 2.     He  wrote: 

As  to  general  policies  of  government  I  have  two  hobbies.  My 
scheme  is  to  drive  money  out  of  the  voting-booth  and  out  of  the 
court-house.  The  government  must  bear  the  entire  expense  of 
all  elections  and  justice  must  be  really — ^and  not  merely  nominally 
— free. 

If  our  form  of  government  is  to  remain  stable,  justice  must  not 
be  virtually  for  sale,  as  it  is  to-day.  One  of  the  places  where  the 
poor  man  and  rich  man  should  go  arm  and  arm  is  in  the  court- 
house. 

But  of  course  they  don't.  Aside  from  the  advantage  for  the 
rich  man  as  in  our  cimibersome  judicial  system,  and  in  the  per- 
sonnel of  the  judges,  he  has  the  immense  advantage  of  the  ability 
to  hire  the  best  lawyers.  The  first  threat  that  a  rich  man  makes 
to  a  poor  man  is  that  he  will  get  the  best  lawyers  in  town.  Under 
such  conditions  it  is  absurd  to  talk  of  the  courts  meting  out 
justice. 

Lawyers  are  now  regarded  as  officers  of  the  court.  They  ought 
to  be  paid  officers.  Their  salaries  should  come  from  the  govern- 
ment, not  from  private  Htigants.  The  state  provides  a  judge  and 
jury.  It  ought  to  provide  the  lawyers.  Society  would  never 
dream  of  permitting  one  of  the  litigants  to  pay  the  judge.  It 
ought  not  to  permit  him  to  pay  another  officer  of  the  court — 
the  lawyer. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  31 

The  private  fee  system  promotes  all  sorts  of  incidental  evils. 
It  encourages  lawyers  to  make  legislation  complicated  and  un- 
certain. It  prevents  reform  of  judicial  procedure.  It  incites 
the  stirring-up  of  litigation.  When  a  suit  without  the  shadow  of 
merit  may  be  begun  by  merely  the  payment  of  a  small  fee,  the 
lawyer  is  under  constant  incentive  to  instigate  legal  proceedings. 
I  have  known  of  repeated  incidents  of  suits  threatened  against 
doctors  and  others  that  were  the  most  evident  blackmail.  Under 
the  existing  system  a  man's  reputation  is  at  the  mercy  of  any 
blackleg  who  cares  to  threaten  it.  A  young  doctor  might  easily 
be  ruined  by  a  suit  charging  malpractice,  though  there  might  be 
no  foundation  for  it.  A  woman's  reputation  might  be  blasted  by 
the  mention  of  her  name  in  a  divorce  proceeding  as  a  co-re- 
spondent. Her  only  recourse  would  be  a  lawsuit,  which  would 
simply  augment  the  injustice. 

A  situation  has  been  produced  by  which  it  is  impossible  to 
carry  out  any  business  transaction  whatever  without  the  help 
of  a  lawyer.  When  a  man  dies  his  estate  is  regarded  as  the 
legitimate  prey  for  attorneys.  It  may  be  looted  with  impunity. 
In  England  the  government  has  established  a  bureau  to  take  charge 
of  estates  so  that  the  man  of  small  means  may  have  the  assurance 
of  knowing  that  his  widow's  property  will  be  safeguarded.  In 
this  country  we  divide  it  among  the  lawyers.  The  fee  system  ab- 
solutely bars  the  doing  of  justice  between  the  rich  and  the  poor. 

Both  of  these  are  great  big  questions  and  I  have  only  touched 
on  the  fringes  of  them.  I  cannot  hope  that  either  of  them  will  be 
dealt  with  adequately  in  my  lifetime,  or  perhaps  in  the  lifetime  of 
the  next  generation.  But  I  want  to  leave  them  as  a  heritage  for 
The  Star  to  deal  with  after  I  am  gone.  It  is  my  desire  that  The 
Star  shall  keep  hammering  on  them  until  equality  between  rich 
and  poor  in  the  selection  of  officials  and  in  the  administration  of 
justice  shall  no  longer  be  a  sham. 

In  1907  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  was  having  trouble 
over  its  water  situation.  Colonel  Nelson  called  a 
comparatively  new  reporter  to  his  desk. 

*'We  ought  to  help  Kansas  City,  Kansas,"  he  said. 
**It  is  as  much  a  part  of  Kansas  City  as  the  Kansas 
City  in  Missouri.     The  Star  is  under  obligation  to  do 


32  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

everything  in  its  power  to  help  the  people  in  that  part 
of  the  city.  Now  I  am  going  to  give  you  a  general 
assignment  that  will  not  be  for  a  day  or  for  a  week  or 
for  a  month.  It  will  be  a  permanent  assignment  that 
will  last  as  long  as  you  are  on  The  Star.  Help  Kansas 
City,  Kansas,  with  all  the  powers  of  this  paper, 
always  remembering  that  this  paper  is  attorney  for 
the  men  and  women  who  pay  it  ten  cents  a  week. 
Whatever  is  best  for  them  this  paper  is  for. 

"Just  now,"  the  editor  continued,  **the  people 
over  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  need  help  to  get  good 
water.  I  want  you  to  go  to  Kansas  City,  Kansas, 
to-day  and  to-morrow  and  every  day  that  is  necessary 
until  you  find  out  what  is  the  shortest  and  most 
feasible  way  to  get  good  water  for  that  side  and  let  us 
then  help  them  in  that  way." 

And  then  he  said  the  thing  he  was  so  fond  of  saying 
to  every  man  who  came  to  work  on  The  Star: 

*' Remember  this :  The  Star  has  a  greater  purpose  in 
life  than  merely  to  print  the  news.  It  believes  in 
doing  things.  I  can  employ  plenty  of  men  merely  to 
write  for  the  paper.  The  successful  reporter  is  the 
one  who  knows  how  to  get  results  by  working  to 
bring  about  the  thing  he  is  trying  to  do." 

Many  times  the  young  man  was  discouraged.  The 
results  came  so  slowly  that  at  times  it  appeared  that 
he  was  accomplishing  nothing.  But  then  he  would 
talk  over  the  situation  with  his  chief,  only  to  have  his 
difficulties  laughed  at  as  mere  incidents  of  any  good 
fight,  and  to  receive  encouragement  that  sent  him  out 
on  the  task  the  next  day  with  renewed  determination 
and  with  renewed  faith  in  the  outcome  of  his  work. 

The  fight  was  made  through  the  City  Counci^, 
through  the  State  Legislature,  through  the  courts, 


COL.  WILLIAM    R.  NELSON 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  33 

and  finally  through  an  election  for  the  purchase  of 
the  water-works  by  the  city. 

In  this  fight  another  revelation  came  to  the  young 
reporter.  When  Colonel  Nelson  gave  him  the  as- 
signment he  said: 

"Personally,  I  am  not  so  strong  for  municipal 
ownership  under  our  present  system  of  political  rule. 
See  if  there  is  not  some  solution  to  the  problem  other 
than  municipal  ownership." 

When  the  reporter  reached  the  conclusion  that 
there  was  no  other  solution,  Colonel  Nelson  agreed. 

*'I  want  you  to  know  this,"  he  said.  ''The  Star  is 
the  only  paper  in  the  world,  I  suppose,  without  a 
'fixed  policy.'  It  is  always  for  the  thing  that  is  most 
efficient  and  most  feasible.  What  it  advocated  yester- 
day, it  feels  at  perfect  liberty  to  'kick  over'  to-day  if 
it  finds  that  what  it  advocated  yesterday  stands  in 
the  way  of  what  it  finds  a  good  thing  to-day." 

The  Star  went  into  the  campaign  for  municipal 
ownership,  and  the  results  were  so  satisfactory  that 
the  paper  became  an  advocate  of  the  widest  latitude 
in  the  exercise  of  municipal  ownership. 

Very  often  a  reporter,  in  the  pursuance  of  his  work, 
would  make  bitter  enemies,  who  thirsted  for  revenge, 
and  sometimes  they  sought  to  have  the  reporter  lose 
his  place.  No  man  who  ever  tried  that  got  a  hearing 
from  Colonel  Nelson. 

Once  a  politician,  whose  underhand  doings  had  been 
commented  upon  by  a  reporter,  came  to  the  office  and 
told  the  editor  that  the  reporter  had  a  personal  spite 
against  him  and  had  threatened  to  run  him  out  of 
town  by  means  of  his  attack  in  The  Star. 

"That  reporter  never  said  it.  I  know  him,"  said 
Colonel  Nelson. 


34         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

The  politician  persisted. 

*'I'll  call  him  over  here  and  prove  to  you  that  he 
never  said  it.'* 

The  reporter  was  called  over  and  he  denounced  the 
politician  as  a  liar  and  proved  him  to  be  a  liar. 

Reporters  would  make  mistakes,  but  they  were 
never  censured  by  Colonel  Nelson.  Once  an  article 
written  by  a  reporter  brought  contempt  proceedings, 
and  the  judge  threatened  to  send  the  editor  to  jail. 
When  the  contempt  writ  was  issued,  the  reporter, 
out  upon  his  work,  was  summoned  to  come  to  the 
office.  He  came  in  an  uneasy  frame  of  mind,  for  in 
what  he  had  written  was  a  slight  error.  But  when 
he  reached  Colonel  Nelson's  desk  there  was  no  word 
of  faultfinding,  of  censure.  He  inquired  if  the 
article  was  true  in  the  main,  and,  being  told  that  it 
was,  he  brought  his  hand  down  with  a  resounding 
blow  upon  his  desk  and  said:  ''Then  we  will  fight 
the  writ." 

And  he  did  fight.  His  political  enemies  prophesied 
the  dire  things  they  would  do  to  the  editor.  He 
might  be  a  brave  man  at  his  desk  in  The  Star  office,  but 
they  would  take  that  all  out  of  him  when  they  got 
him  before  the  court.  They  would  wilt  him  and  make 
him  beg  for  mercy. 

Those  who  were  in  the  court-room  that  day  will 
never  forget  the  scene;  the  noble  dignity  of  the 
white-haired  man,  while  about  him  shuffled  and  whis- 
pered and  leered  the  crowd  of  political  creatures; 
and  he  the  only  calm,  unruffled,  unexcited  one  among 
them.  To  the- political  rabble  that  day  it  was  given 
to  glimpse  the  strength  of  character  of  a  great  man, 
and  it  awed  them,  absolutely  awed  them.  Then  they 
began  to  sense  the  wrong  they  were  doing,  and  it 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING         35 

shamed  them.  When  the  proceedings  were  over, 
even  the  judge  on  the  bench  saw  that  his  crowd  had 
slunk  away  from  him. 

The  men  who  worked  for  Colonel  Nelson  always 
knew  exactly  what  the  policy  of  The  Star  would 
be  on  any  question,  as  soon  as  it  arose.  Whenever 
a  man  was  mentioned  as  a  candidate  for  office  any 
one  on  The  Star  could  tell  you  whether  or  not  the 
paper  would  oppose  him,  and  the  same  with  political 
and  civic  movements.  Were  they  on  the  square  for 
the  public  good?  That  was  all.  If  they  weren't,  it 
was  all  settled  beforehand  that  they  could  never  have 
the  support  of  The  Star. 

In  twenty  years'  intimate  relations  with  Colonel 
Nelson  I  never  knew  him  to  be  wrong  on  any  question. 
He  was  always  right  and  always  far-seeing.  I  never 
knew  him  to  be  denounced  by  an  honest  man  or  an 
honest  newspaper.  I  have  known  honest  men  to 
differ  from  him,  but  I  am  speaking  of  the  vituperation 
that  has  been  launched  against  him  at  various  times. 
That  always  came  from  men  we  knew  were  crooks, 
whether  the  public  knew  it  or  not.  Those  things 
always  hurt  us ;  they  stung  our  indignation  into  fury, 
they  were  so  cruelly  false,  and  he  was  so  wholly  the 
opposite  of  what  they  pictured  him  to  be.  But  he 
never  bothered  about  those  attacks.  He  was  too  big 
and  too  fine  a  gentleman  to  be  drawn  into  an  argument 
with  such  men;  and  so  he  went  on,  straight  ahead, 
with  sure  and  undisturbed  poise. 

Many  of  these  enemies  of  The  Star  have  said  to 
me:  *' There  must  be  something  fine  in  the  character 
of  Nelson,  after  all,  for  I  never  knew  a  man  who 
worked  for  him  say  a  word  against  him;  they  are 
always  loyal." 


36         NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

Not  long  ago  one  of  the  reporters,  who  had  been 
with  The  Star  a  long  time,  died  suddenly  of  heart 
disease.  After  the  funeral  the  Colonel  said  to  one  of 
his  men:  **You  go  out  and  see  his  widow  and  find  out 
how  they  are  situated.**  The  report  came  back  that 
they  owed  on  a  house  they  were  paying  for,  and  that 
the  three  children  were  not  yet  through  school,  but 
would  be  in  a  year  or  two.  Colonel  Nelson  ordered 
the  name  of  that  reporter  be  kept  upon  the  payroll 
for  two  years,  which  would  give  time  for  the  house  to 
be  paid  for  and  the  children  to  finish  school.  One  of 
the  children  came  every  pay-day  and  took  home  her 
father's  salary. 

These  glimpses  of  the  mentality  and  broad  pur- 
poses of  the  real  man  behind  The  Star  are  convincing 
evidence  that  it,  like  The  Chicago  Daily  News,  was 
made  to  be  more  than  a  mere  newspaper.  The  Kansas 
City  Star  probably  has  built  up  and  possesses  the 
widest  field  of  influence  of  any  newspaper  -  in  the 
United  States.  It  is  looked  upon  as  the  people's  most 
sincere  and  faithful  friend  and  adviser  throughout  the 
Middle  Southwest.  Unique  in  its  typography  and 
presentation  of  news  and  features,  it  possesses  greater 
individuality  and  more  powerful  direct  influence 
than  any  other  newspaper  anywhere.  It  is  a 
sound  institution,  dedicated  by  a  real  man  to  big 
purposes. 

Colonel  Nelson,  the  founder  of  The  Star,  died  April 
13,  191 5,  leaving  to  American  journalism  a  record 
probably  unequaled  by  any  other  man.  One  of  the 
greatest  editors  of  his  day,  he  was  also  a  masterful 
publisher  and  constructive  unofficial  statesman.  He 
never  held  a  public  office,  declined  to  sit  on  the  plat- 
form of  any  public  gathering,  never  held  a  dollar  of 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  37 

stock  in  any  public-service  corporation,  and  served 
only  his  newspaper  and  the  people  of  Kansas  City. 


Chronology  of  The  Kansas  City  Star 

Sept.     18,  1880.    Kansas  City  Star  founded,  lo  cents  a  week. 

Jan.        7,  1882.    Absorbed  Kansas  City  Mail. 

March    6,  1890.     The  Weekly  Star,  25  cents  a  year,  founded. 

April  29,  1894.  Sunday  edition  started,  price  combined,  10 
cents  a  week  for  seven  issues. 

Nov.  18,  1 901.  Absorbed  Kansas  City  Times  and  added  a 
morning  edition  to  its  evening  and  Sunday 
without  increasing  subscription  price.  All 
subscribers  received  a  morning,  an  evening, 
and  Sunday  newspaper  for  10  cents  a  week. 

Jan.      30,  191 1.    Printed  first  issue  from  its  present  plant. 


IV 

Pulitzer  and  McLean 

Thirty-four  years  ago  last  May  Joseph  Pulitzer 
gave  New  York  its  first  taste  of  what  has  since  be- 
come real  journalism.  He  bought  a  nearly  defunct 
property,  and  by  the  exertion  of  such  energy  and 
intelligence  as  had  never  before  been  seen  in  combina- 
tion on  Park  Row,  very  rapidly  reached  high-water- 
mark records  established  by  other  New  York  news- 
papers and  then  built  records  of  his  own.  I  well 
remember  the  laughing  way  in  which  old  New  York 
newspaper  men  regarded  his  first  efforts. 

It  didn't  take  Mr.  Pulitzer  very  long  to  turn  the 
tide  from  failure  to  success.  His  popularity  contests, 
with  prizes  for  the  most  poptilar  conductor,  the  most 
popular  policeman,  the  most  popular  club,  the  hand- 
somest saleslady,  and  such,  were  soon  the  talk  of  the 
town.  His  use  of  pictures  in  a  daily  newspaper  was 
a  distinct  novelty  in  New  York.  But  back  of  all  the 
surface  activity  was  a  passion  for  public  service,  a 
well-defined  policy,  and  great  intellectual  dominance 
and  power.  It  was  this  spirit  that  caused  him  to 
dedicate  The  World  as 

An  institution  that  should  always  fight  for  progress  and 
reform,  never  tolerate  injustice  or  corruption,  always  fight 
demagogues  of  all  parties,  never  belong  to  any  party,  always 
oppose  privileged  classes  and  public  plunderers,  never  lack 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  39 

sympathy  with  the  poor,  always  remain  devoted  to  the  public 
welfare,  never  he  satisfied  with  merely  printing  news,  always 
be  drastically  independent,  never  be  afraid  to  attack  wrong, 
whether  by  predatory  plutocracy  or  predatory  poverty. 

Mr.  Pulitzer  scored  a  big  hit  by  courageously  taking 
hold  of  the  movement  to  raise  money  to  provide  the 
pedestal  for  the  Statue  of  Liberty  presented  to  the 
United  States  by  the  people  of  France.  He  made  a 
success  of  the  undertaking,  and  incidentally  proved 
the  power  and  influence  of  the  rejuvenated  World. 
This  campaign  made  The  World  the  most-talked-about 
newspaper  in  the  United  States,  the  daily  totals  of 
the  fund  raised  being  telegraphed  from  one  end  of  the 
land  to  the  other. 

At  the  time  of  Mr.  Pulitzer's  debut,  The  Herald  was 
the  dominant  newspaper  of  New  York,  if  not  of  the 
whole  country.  It  carried  all  the  advertising  of  the 
big  stores,  more  theatrical  advertising  than  any  other 
newspaper,  and  simply  discounted  all  other  papers  in 
volume  of  classified  advertising.  The  Herald  was  so 
big  and  powerful  that  it  compelled  advertisers  to  set 
all  their  advertisements  in  agate  type.  It  permitted 
no  display  type  or  cuts.  It  was  most  arbitrary  in  its 
attitude  to  advertisers,  acting  on  rules  and  traditions 
of  years  gone  by  and  religiously  maintained. 

This  situation  provided  an  opportunity  Joseph 
Pulitzer  grasped  with  an  intelligent  mastery  which 
has  seldom  been  equaled  in  newspaper  annals.  He 
no  sooner  got  the  band  wagon  for  increased  circula- 
tion moving  vigorously  down  the  street  than  he  hired 
The  Herald's  advertising  manager,  who  had  the  ac- 
quaintance of  all  local  business  men,  and  started  after 
advertising  at  rates  which  rapidly  produced  the 
business. 


40  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

It  was  a  cruel  competition,  which  enabled  the  pro- 
gressive publisher  of  The  World  Hterally  to  tear  holes 
in  all  the  hundred  notions  regarding  journalistic  ethics 
practised  by  the  other  New  York  newspapers.  They 
did  not  wake  up  to  what  had  happened  until  it  was 
too  late  for  them  to  stem  the  tide  of  his  success. 
When  it  was  too  late,  one  after  another,  they  fell  into 
line,  but  only  as  imitators. 

The  Morning  World,  with  its  big  volume  of  classified 
advertisements,  from  eight  to  ten  pages  a  day  on 
week  days,  with  an  enormous  amount  of  such  matter 
on  Sunday,  is  the  harvest  of  the  seed  planted  by 
Mr.  Pulitzer  in  1883,  carefully  followed  up  and 
stimulated  by  a  consistent  policy  through  thirty- 
four  years  of  strenuous  effort  and  strict  maintenance 
of  rates,  reaching  its  present  wonderful  development 
several  years  after  its  founder's  death. 

The  New  York  World,  to  my  mind,  represents  the 
most  wonderful  type  of  successful  development  along 
lines  of  tremendous  vital  business  promotion  for  a 
newspaper,  reflecting  at  all  times  a  sincere  purpose  to 
serve  the  public  and  possession  of  a  keen  knowledge 
of  human  nature.  Its  success  has  been  the  logical 
reward  of  the  honesty,  good  faith,  and  intelligence  of 
its  great  foimder  and  editor,  who  discovered  the  open- 
door  policy  in  circulation  to  be  good  business  long 
before  his  contemporaries. 

Those  of  us  who  remember  the  antics  of  the  old 
New  York  Recorder,  which,  handled  by  men  who 
regarded  themselves  as  having  been  the  brains  of 
The  World,  backed  with  tons  of  money,  can  best 
appreciate  the  point  I  seek  to  make.  Here  was  a 
newspaper  which,  through  sheer  force  of  stimulation 
and  gift  enterprise,  secured  a  large  temporary  sale 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  41 

and  much .  advertising,  only  to  sink  and  finally  die 
because  it  did  not  reflect  either  brains  or  sincerity. 

Hardly  a  week  goes  by  but  some  out-of-town  news- 
paper owner  comes  to  me,  asking  what  is  the  matter 
with  his  property,  and  why  it  doesn't  seem  to  get 
hold.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  it  is  because  the 
paper  really  doesn't  deserve  success.  It  is  neither 
a  good  newspaper  nor  does  it  show  the  sort  of 
sincerity  and  brains  that  attract  and  hold  public 
attention. 

A  brief  history  of  the  early  activities  of  Joseph  Pul- 
itzer with  The  World  would  give  a  liberal  education 
to  some  of  our  unsuccessful  newspaper  owners,  but  I 
am  afraid  the  true  significance  of  many  of  his  ventures 
would  not  be  grasped,  for  the  same  reason  that  blinds 
them  to  possibilities  in  their  own  fields.  In  stating 
the  situation  in  this  way,  I  do  not  mean  to  vent  unfair 
criticism,  but  merely  to  notice  a  real  condition.  In 
some  way  or  other  the  public  in  the  long  run  sizes  up 
newspaper  merit  with  amazing  accuracy.  There  is 
no  substitute  for  good  character  and  intelligence.  If 
a  newspaper  of  inferior  merit  is  temporarily  occupying 
a  field  with  some  degree  of  success,  it  can  easily  be 
pushed  aside  by  one  that  rings  the  right  note  in  the 
hands  of  men  who  know  their  business. 

There  is  abundant  food  for  thought  for  newspaper 

makers  of  the  future  in  the  really  notable  success  of 

William  L.  McLean  with  The  Philadelphia  Bulletin, 

now  selling  more  than  390,000  copies  a  day.     Those 

of  us  who  remember  The  Bulletin  twenty  years  ago, 

when  Mr.  McLean  bought  it,  must  acknowledge  the 

truly  wonderful  development  he  has  accomplished.     I 

do  not  remember  what  the  circulation  of  The  Bulletin 
4 


42         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

was  in  1896,  which  was  about  the  time  Mr.  McLean 
appHed  his  magic  wand,  but  it  was  very  small. 

Mr.  McLean  knew  what  the  people  of  Philadelphia 
wanted  in  the  way  of  a  popular  evening  newspaper 
better  than  any  one  else,  as  has  been  proved  by  results. 
He  gave  them  a  more  conservative-looking  newspaper 
than  most  of  the  successful  publishers  in  other  cities 
have  given  their  readers.  His  conception  was  not 
widely  at  variance  from  that  of  the  late  Colonel 
Nelson  with  The  Kansas  City  Star,  but  he  helped  him- 
self direct  to  some  of  the  original  coloring  of  The 
Chicago  Daily  News  and  added  a  dash  of  Hearst 
vigor. 

From  first  to  last  The  Bulletin  stands  out  as  a  news- 
paper success,  accomplished  through  careful  selection 
and  adaptation,  rather  than  the  production  of  any- 
thing of  striking  individuality  at  home.  Mr.  McLean 
has  the  reputation  of  buying  the  Philadelphia  rights 
for  almost  every  good  syndicate  feature  in  the  market. 
From  the  mass  his  editors  choose  what  is  best  for  the 
day,  and  this,  condensed  to  the  limit,  provides  the 
backbone  of  The  Bulletin, 

Mr.  McLean  was  an  experienced  newspaper  man 
before  he  bought  The  Bulletin,  He  had  been  adver- 
tising manager  of  The  Press,  if  I  remember  correctly. 
His  first  efforts  with  The  Bulletin  were  in  seeking  to 
secure  for  it  larger  circulation  as  a  basis  for  increasing 
the  advertising  earnings,  to  put  the  property  on  a 
self-supporting  and  money-making  basis. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  Mr.  McLean  was  in 
1896,  when  he  was  in  New  York  seeking  information 
regarding  bicycles  with  carrier  wicker  baskets  to  be 
used  by  his  carriers.  From  that  day  to  this  The 
Bulletin  has  had  probably  as  fine  a  delivery  system  as 


JOSEPH    PULITZER 


*      * 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  43 

any  newspaper  in  the  country.  Mr.  McLean  believed 
in  getting  his  newspaper  thoroughly  and  rapidly  dis- 
tributed to  as  many  points  as  he  could.  This  has 
cost  heavily  at  all  times,  but  the  expense  has  been 
justified  by  results. 

One  of  the  striking  features  of  The  Bulletin  has 
been  the  consistent  policy  of  stimulating  the  develop- 
ment of  small  display  advertising,  by  maintaining  a 
very  nearly  flat-rate  principle.  Mr.  McLean  for  a 
long  time  did  not  beHeve  in  printing  larger  than  a 
sixteen-page  newspaper  for  one  cent.  Whenever  ad- 
vertising threatened  to  compel  the  production  of  a 
larger  paper,  he  increased  his  advertising  rates. 

These  processes  grew  out  of  his  long  years'  ex- 
perience as  solicitor  and  advertising  manager.  The 
small  advertiser  in  The  Bulletin  enjoys  nearly  as  low 
a  rate  as  the  big  department  store,  provided  he  uses 
a  reasonable  amount  of  space  on  contract.  The 
Bulletin  has  been  very  successful  in  developing  many 
of  these  small-at-the-beginning  accounts  into  the  big 
ones  to-day. 

Back  of  all  these  wonderfully  effective  business- 
office  activities,  The  Bulletin  has  always  been  a  most 
complete  and  carefully  edited  newspaper.  Probably 
no  daily  newspaper  in  any  of  our  larger  cities  repre- 
sents as  small  a  percentage  of  waste  or  carelessness 
regarding  the  presentation  of  news,  features,  or 
regular  departments.  Every  item  is  accurately 
weighed  as  to  the  amount  of  space  it  should  occupy, 
and  all  writers  are  carefully  instructed  as  to  how  to 
cut  out  superfluous  words  in  the  preparation  of  their 
news.  A  study  of  The  Bulletin  and  its  methods  would 
be  advantageous  to  many  newspaper  editors  and 
publishers  in  other  cities,  who,  under  much  less  favor- 


44  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

able  circumstances,  are  daily  wasting  money  which 
might  easily,  through  intelligent  supervision,  be  trans- 
ferred to  profits  and  dividends. 

Comparatively  few  newspaper  men  trained  in  the 
average  office  realize  the  superior,  enduring  qualities 
and  reader-confidence  established  by  the  building  of 
a  reliable  paper  like  The  Bulletin.  They  will  laugh- 
ingly tell  you  that  such  a  newspaper  will  do  for 
Philadelphia,  but  not  for  their  own  town,  where  the 
people  are  wider  awake  and  more  progressive.  In 
this  judgment  I  am  certain  they  are  mistaken,  for  a 
newspaper  as  good  as  The  Bulletin  ^  laid  down  in  almost 
any  other  city  in  the  world,  would  so  rapidly  distance 
those  of  the  lighter,  less  sincere  sort,  that  the  ensuing 
competition  would  be  rather  a  farce  comedy  than  a 
real  battle  between  equally  equipped  opponents. 
Human  nature  is  about  the  same  everywhere,  and  the 
public  anywhere  may  be  depended  upon  to  pick  the 
genuine  from  the  sham. 

The  most  casual  inquiry  among  the  merchants  and 
other  business  men  who  advertise  in  The  Bulletin  will 
convince  any  one  that  Bulletin  readers  respond  to 
advertising  in  its  columns.  This  is  one  of  the  peculiar 
advantages  of  building  up  a  newspaper  along  sane 
lines  in  contrast  to  spread-eagle  methods.  Advertis- 
ing is  most  effective  where  it  does  not  have  to  compete 
for  reader  attention  with  blatant  scare-heads  and 
rampant  sensationalism. 


V 

Ochs  and  The   Times 

Like  most  other  truly  great  newspaper  successes, 
that  of  Adolph  S.  Ochs  with  The  New  York  Times 
has  been  built  up  on  the  basis  of  the  greatest  news- 
paper merit  possible  in  the  circumstances.  The  Times 
has  always  given  the  public  the  best  service  that  it 
could  afford,  and  by  turning  back  into  the  property 
steadily  accumulating  resources  has  been  able  to 
establish  standards  of  excellence  and  completeness 
difficult  of  duplication. 

From  the  very  beginning  in  September,  1896,  Mr. 
Ochs  has  played  the  newspaper  game  like  a  great 
chess  master,  carefully  pushing  forward  his  pawns  in 
safe  and  sound  formation,  to  make  possible  the 
development  of  his  major  pieces  without  at  any  time 
endangering  the  security  of  the  positions  previously 
attained. 

Those  of  us  who  recollect  the  humiliating  spectacle 
of  The  Times  during  its  period  of  floundering  under  its 
old  management,  ending  in  a  receivership,  can  best 
appreciate  the  transformation  effected  by  Mr.  Ochs. 
His  opening  moves  were  watched  with  much  interest 
by  the  dwellers  along  Park  Row.  General  opinion, 
as  in  the  case  of  Joseph  Pulitzer  in  1883,  was  that  the 
new  aspirant  would  come  a  cropper. 

The  development  of  Mr.  Ochs's  Times  was  as  a 


46         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

brand-new  form  of  newspaper — better,  more  compre- 
hensive, and  more  dependable  than  anything  that  had 
gone  before.  Once  again  success  was  won  with  some- 
thing new  and  of  intrinsic  value.  With  Mr.  Pulitzer 
and  The  World  it  had  been  gift  enterprise,  pictures, 
sincere  human  interest,  and  active  devotion  to  public 
service.  With  Mr.  Ochs  it  was  live,  conservative, 
bountiful  news,  and  the  best  service  in  many  directions 
which,  tirelessly  persisted  in,  won  recognition. 

Mr.  Ochs  began  to  improve  The  Times  as  soon  as 
he  had  hung  his  hat  in  the  clothes  closet  in  his  office 
in  the  old  building  in  Park  Row.  Reports  at  the 
time  were  that  his  first  official  act  was  to  get  the 
editors  together  to  tell  them  that  he  wanted  better 
things  right  away. 

The  Times' s  standing  in  the  community  as  a  con- 
servative paper  still  supported  by  a  very  few  thousand 
of  the  most  intelligent  people,  was  taken  by  Mr.  Ochs 
as  the  corner  stone  upon  which  to  erect  the  great 
edifice  his  newspaper  experience  had  made  him  believe 
possible. 

The  financial  and  commercial  departments  of  The 
Times  were  tremendously  enlarged  and  improved.  It 
issued  a  weekly  financial  supplement  in  half-page 
form  every  Monday,  while  its  Saturday  book  supple- 
ment, in  the  same  form,  rapidly  won  a  place  as  an 
authoritative  medium  of  news  and  advertising  re- 
garding pubHcations.  The  Times  also  expanded  its 
large  legal  and  real-estate  departments,  making  a 
newspaper  which  covered  these  phases  of  local  busi- 
ness more  accurately  and  more  completely  than  had 
ever  been  attempted  by  any  regular  daily  newspaper. 
In  addition  to  these  specific  features  of  news,  Mr.  Ochs 
made  The  Times  a  wonderful  newspaper  in  as  many 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  47 

other  ways  as  he  could  find  money  for  and  space  to 
do  it  in.  When  he  got  it  in  creditable  shape  he 
determined  to  find  a  slogan  reflecting  what  The  Times 
stood  for  and  hit  upon  the  apt  phrase :  *  *  All  the  news 
that's  fit  to  print." 

''All  the  news  that^s  fit  to  print'*  was  made  the 
talk  of  New  York,  and  the  resulting  publicity  was  of 
double  value,  first,  because  the  phrase  attracted  notice, 
and  second,  because  the  idea  got  abroad  that  the 
phrase  was  an  accurate  description  of  The  Times' s 
contents.  I  do  not  doubt  that  this  simple  motto, 
acting  inwardly  as  well  as  outwardly,  had  much  to 
do  with  setting  up  the  general  confidence  the  property 
enjoys  to-day. 

If  ever  a  newspaper  was  built  brick  upon  brick, 
through  the  recommendation  of  one  reader  to  a  friend 
who  was  not  yet  reading  it.  The  New  York  Times  was 
so  built.  A  survey  of  its  steady  circulation  growth 
over  a  period  of  years  shows  almost  machine-like 
regularity. 

As  the  snowball,  represented  by  The  Times' s  success, 
grew  larger  and  larger,  and  more  readers  were  helping 
it  grow  by  recommending  it  to  those  that  still  bought 
other  newspapers,  its  progress  grew  faster  by  reason 
of  the  ever  larger  army  of  reader-boosters.  There 
never  has  been  anything  sensational  or  flamboyant 
about  The  Times.  It  has  spent  great  sums  of  money 
to  secure  great  news  beats,  such  as  the  Peary  North 
Pole  story,  but  it  has  gone  ahead,  straight  down  the 
middle  of  the  road  as  the  best,  cleanest,  and  most 
complete  newspaper  that  could  be  turned  out  on  any 
day. 

Such  a  quality  of  circulation  as  The  Times  repre- 
sented was  found  to  be  immensely  productive  of 


48 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 


results  to  advertisers,  as  appeared  in  the  steadily 
growing  volume  of  business  at  advancing  rates, 
justified  by  its  increased  circulation. 

The  Times  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  highest 
grade  of  genuine  newspaper  ability,  directed  by  a 
man  able  to  brush  aside  the  daily  trivialities  and 
vexations,  with  his  eye,  heart,  and  mind  firmly 
directed  to  one  piupose — making  The  Times  the  great- 
est morning  newspaper  he  possibly  could.  No  one 
grudges  Mr.  Ochs  an  atom  of  his  success  or  prosperity, 
for  a  study  of  his  experiences  in  the  upbuilding  of 
The  New  York  Times  and  the  practice  of  his  tenets  by 
those  desirous  of  similar  success  elsewhere  would 
make  for  greatly  improved  newspapers,  to  the  in- 
creased glory  and  credit  of  the  business. 

As  indicating  the  steady,  consistent  growth  of  a 
newspaper  such  as  The  New  York  Times  nothing  is  as 
interesting  as  actual  figures.  Here  is  the  average 
net  paid  sale  for  twenty  years : 


1898  April 25,726 

1899  " 76,260 

1900  "  82,106 

1901  "  102,472 

1902  "  104,330 

1903  "  105,072 

1904  "  iio;833 

1905  "  122,310 

1906  "  126,915 

1907  "  144,114 

1908  "  165,155 

1909  "  176,023 

1910  "  181,270 

1911  "  191,452 

1912  " 225,392 

1913  "  246,386 

J914  "  .,.., ,...,..,,..,,.,,, ,,266,616 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  49 

1915  April 317,862 

1916  "     334,545 

1917  "     346,864 

To  indicate  how  the  circulation  of  a  morning  news- 
paper like  The  Times  is  distributed  between  city  and 
country,  these  figures  for  Saturday,  March  31,  191 7, 
are  given : 

Metropolitan  Dealers 225,634 

Dealers  Elsewhere 90,541 

Mail  Subscribers 28,021 

Total  Advance  Sale 344,196 

Advertising  Mail  List 156 

Exchanges     91 

Downtown  Office 599 

Main  Office  572 

Annex    775 

Office  Use 475 

Total  Net  Circulation 346,864 

No  Returns  and  No  Unsold  Copies 

For  the  benefit  of  those  interested  in  still  further 
detail  regarding  Mr.  Ochs's  purposes  I  reproduce  por- 
tions of  an  address  delivered  by  Mr.  Ochs  before  the 
National  Editorial  Association  in  June,  191 6: 

My  experience  in  newspaper  making  affords  an  opportunity  for 
close  observation  of  what  is  going  on  in  its  many  ramifications 
throughout  the  country,  and  justifies  me  in  making  the  broad 
assertion  that  never  before  did  there  exist  so  many  splendid 
opportunities  to  win  honor,  fame,  and  fortune  in  the  profession 
of  journalism. 

In  all  its  angles  there  is  in  American  joumaligm  a  demand  and 


so  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

an  urgent  need  for  men  of  ability;  men  possessing  the  cardinal 
virtues — ^prudence,  justice,  temperance,  and  fortitude;  faith, 
hope  and  charity;  men  who  love  their  country  and  their  fellow- 
men;  men  of  courage  and  convictions;  men  with  vision  and 
imagination;  men  who  are  thorough  and  painstaking — ^who  take 
a  pride  in  their  work  and  whose  heart  and  soul  are  in  it;  men  who 
do  not  think  they  know  it  all,  but  can  learn  from  others;  men  who 
are  constantly  seeking  for  and  acquainting  themselves  with  the 
newest,  the  best,  and  the  most  effective  work  done  by  others, 
and  with  the  intelligence  to  understand  what  they  learn  and  to 
apply  the  knowledge  to  their  undertakings;  men  who  are  thor- 
oughly grounded  in  the  very  rudiments  of  newspaper  making; 
men  who  know  a  proof  press,  a  shooting  stick  and  quoin,  a  rotary 
press,  a  linotype  and  autoplate;  a  monkey  dash  as  well  as  a 
coltunn  rule;  with  not  only  a  nose  for  news  but  with  olfactories 
to  scent  odors  and  detect  rottenness;  men  with  a  sense  of  propor- 
tion and  of  values,  and  with  an  eye  for  impressive  and  pleasing 
typographical  display;  men  who  in  circulation  know  the  real  from 
the  artificial,  and  in  advertising  know  the  genuine  from  the 
deceptive;  above  all,  men  with  the  practical  equipment  and  the 
sincere  and  vigilant  piirpose  to  present  the  news  honestly  and 
without  prejudice,  and  to  interpret  it  with  independence  and 
fairness. 

This  may  be  the  counsel  of  perfection,  but  in  newspaper  making 
perfection  in  morals,  habits,  and  equipment — as  near  as  is  humanly 
possible — invariably  spells  success  with  capital  letters. 

I  appreciate  the  fact  that  I  am  expressing  no  new  ideas,  but 
rather  what  we  have  come  to  look  on  as  platitudes — such  things 
as  we  heard  at  our  mother's  knee  and  were  taught  in  the  school- 
room and  in  the  church;  but  I  hope,  by  repeating  them  to  you  in 
the  light  of  my  experience,  to  impress  you  with  my  belief  in  their 
enduring  truth. 

And  I  wish  to  add  and  heartily  endorse  some  sentiments  ex- 
pressed by  the  Honorable  Champ  Clark.     He  recently  said: 

''My  opinion  is  that  it  takes  more  courage,  more  common 
sense,  more  information,  more  system,  and  more  general  intelli- 
gence to  conduct  a  good  newspaper  than  any  other  business  a  man 
can  get  into  in  this  life.  As  far  as  the  opportunities  are  concerned, 
they  are  great  ones.  The  journalistic  business  is  getting  better 
all  the  time.  .  .  .  My  opinion  is  that  the  right  sort  of  an 
editor  is  one  of  the  most  useful  citizens  of  the  Republic." 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 


SI 


•M  Hie  New  Hars 
Fil  to  rnrrt,'* 


]  €ljft^t\xi%axkMimt0. 


WILSON  DEaARES 
BERLIN  IS  SEEKHIG 
DECETTFUL  PEACE 


GERiU6FJULBiGK 
TOWARD  THE  LYS 


>€-?^^ 


ALLIES  TO  FORCE 
RUSSIA  TO  STATE 
HERDnwriONS 


PERSHING  WIS 
GREAT  WELCOIE 
FROM  ALL  PARIS 


LOAB  OYERSDBSCRIBED  BY  $500,e,000; 
BONDS  GO  TO  ABODT  2,200,000  PERSONS; 
NEW  YORK  TAKES  A  BILLION  DOLLARS 


r^mmfwm 


I 


52  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

Twenty-five  years  ago  I  appeared  by  invitation  before  this 
association  at  its  annual  meeting  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, 
introduced  as  the  publisher  of  a  small  interior  daily  newspaper, 
and  then  and  there  gave  my  views  of  the  daily  newspaper  publish- 
ing business,  "hot,  practical,  and  to  the  point,"  as  requested  by 
Mr.  Stevens,  the  president  of  the  association.  The  observations 
I  made  were  based  on  an  experience  of  nearly  twenty-five  years 
in  a  printing  office,  one-half  the  time  as  publisher. 

A  quarter  of  a  century  has  passed  since  that  address  was 
delivered,  and  twenty  of  those  years  I  have  been  in  metropolitan 
newspaper  work.  I  am  now  within  less  than  five  years  of  having 
spent  half  a  century  in  printing  and  in  newspaper  making.  I 
entered  the  business  as  the  "devil"  in  a  printing  office — which 
has  been  my  high  school  and  my  university — and  with  no  capital 
other  than  I  created  and  could  command  by  reason  of  my  com- 
mercial credit. 

With  your  indulgence  I  shall  read  a  few  extracts  from  the 
address  at  the  St.  Paul  (Minnesota)  meeting  in  June,  1891, 
when  I  told  how  The  Chattanooga  Daily  Times  had  under  my 
ownership  and  management  grown  from  250  to  5,500  daily  circula- 
tion, and  was  esteemed  as  one  of  the  most  successful  of  the  small 
daily  newspapers.     Here  are  some  of  my  observations: 

"...  The  daily  newspaper  business  is  in  its  infancy.  There 
are  thousands  of  opportunities  for  the  establishment  of  a  newspaper 
plant,  with  great  fortunes  as  a  reward  for  honest,  earnest  toil. 
Very  few  of  the  thousands  of  newspapers  that  are  printed  in  this 
country  are  managed  on  prudent,  economical  business  principles, 
because  profit  has  been  in  easy  reach  with  comparatively  little 
effort;  but  wherever  there  has  been  one  thus  conducted  it  has 
been  a  great  success.  The  details  of  the  business  are  scarcely 
ever  mastered;  the  business  is  generally  conducted  on  a  happy-go- 
lucky  plan,  and  too  often  the  newspaper  enterprise  is  undertaken 
tor  the  purpose  of  furthering  some  personal  ambition  or  to  forward 
some  pet  idea  or  peculiar  principle — a.  paper  with  one  idea, 
political,  social,  or  otherwise.  .  .  . 

"A  journal,  conducted  as  a  newspaper,  being  a  fearless  piuveyor, 
and,  when  needed,  equally  fearless  interpreter  of  the  news,  is,  in 
the  intelligent  public  opinion,  the  newspaper  of  the  future.  The 
day  of  the  organ,  if  not  past,  is  rapidly  passing.  The  people,  as 
they  gain  culture,  breadth  of  understanding,  and  independence  of 
thought  .  .  .  more  and  more  demand   the   paper   that   prints 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  S3 

the  history  of  each  day  without  fear  of  consequences,  the  favoring 
of  special  theories,  or  the  promotion  of  personal  interests.  The 
duty  of  the  editor  and  publisher  who  serves  an  intelHgent  and 
manly  constituency  is  to  give  his  patrons  the  facts,  and  attempts 
nothing  with  reference  thereto  beyond  assisting  to  a  clearer  under- 
standing of  the  same.  ...  It  is  hardly  probable  that  an 
editor  can  be  found  who  is  fully  and  ably  informed  upon  all  sub- 
jects that  come  up  for  explanation  and  discussion  in  the  course  of 
one  day's  experience  in  managing  a  daily  newspaper,  that  he  may 
be  respected  as  a  savant  in  religion,  art,  literature,  science,  political 
economy,  and  other  kindred  and  varied  subjects.  .  .  .  The 
editor  and  publisher  of  a  daily  newspaper  should  give  his  thoughts, 
time,  money,  and  energy,  first  to  securing  and  then  to  printing  in 
good  shape  all  the  news,  and  give  the  thoughts  of  the  best-informed 
men  upon  the  topic  under  discussion — fairly  giving  all  views  with 
reference  to  it.     .     .     ." 

I  thus  set  forth  what  I  thought  were  the  required  qualifications 
for  a  man  to  manage  a  daily  newspaper  successfully: 

"(i.)  He  should  be  a  practical,  intelligent  printer,  with  sound 
ideas  of  economy  in  business. 

"(2.)  Before  undertaking  to  publish  a  daily  newspaper  he 
should  be  sanguine  that  the  opportunity  of  his  life  is  just  open  to 
him.  The  occupation  should  be  pleasant,  in  no  way  irksome,  and 
he  should  be  determined  to  devote  his  whole  time  and  all  his  ener- 
gies to  the  business,  and  find  it  interesting  and  pleasant  to  do  so. 

"(3.)  He  should  be  free  of  any  financial  entanglements.  He 
should  be  under  no  personal  obligations  to  any  one  who  may  seek 
to  sway  the  paper  from  pursuing  a  fearless,  honest  course  in  the 
discussion  of  all  public  questions  or  in  the  treatment  of  men, 
measures,  or  incidents. 

"  (4.)  He  should  be  loyal  to  all  the  best  interests  of  his  constitu- 
ents; identified  with  progressive  movements  and  ideas,  and  not 
afraid  to  change  his  views  when  he  finds  that  he  is  in  the  wrong. 

*'(5.)  He  should  be  subservient  to  no  man  or  interest,  and, 
while  aggressive  and  outspoken,  always  courteous  and  respectful 
to  those  with  whom  he  differs;  mindful  ever  of  the  fact  that  all 
people  are  not  of  the  same  opinion. 

"  (6.)  He  should  impress  on  every  one  that  his  paper  is  always 
just  and  fair,  and  especially  so  to  those  who  differ  with  it. 

''(7.)  He  should  never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  assumed 
position  of  censorship  of  men  and  measures  reqvdres  that  he  should 


54  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

take  criticism  with  good  grace,  and  not  be  thin-skinned  when  he  is 
misrepresented,  vilified,  or  base  motives  attributed  to  him.  A 
newspaper  man  who  is  honest  and  fearless  cannot  be  injured  in 
the  estimation  of  his  people  by  abuse  and  caliminy. 

"  (8.)  He  should  bear  in  mind  that,  unfortunately,  the  'slinging 
of  mud '  at  newspaper  men  is  one  of  the  incidents  of  the  profession, 
arising  often  from  ignorance  and  blind  prejudice,  but  most  fre- 
quently from  envy  and  jealousy. 

"  (9.)  He  should  also  remember  that  it  is  not  necessary  that  an 
editor  and  publisher  should  be  a  pugilist  or  a  duelist,  but  it  is 
necessary  that  he  be  made  of  such  stuff  that  he  fears  no  one  who 
prides  himself  on  these  barbarous  characteristics. 

"(10.)  When  prosperity  comes  to  crown  his  efforts,  he  should 
not  be  intoxicated  with  his  success. 

*'(ii.)  He  should  know  that  sops,  gratuities,  and  donations  are 
dangerous,  because  of  the  baneful  influence  they  exert  on  the 
recipient  and  the  extravagant  management  they  encourage,  which 
cannot  be  maintained  by  legitimate  receipts. 

"A  man  who  possesses  these  qualifications  and  understands 
these  requirements,  and  can  practise  them,  is  prepared  to  under- 
take the  successful  publication  of  a  daily  newspaper  anywhere  a 
victory  is  possible.  .  .  . 

"It  is  not  alone  the  circulation  that  the  newspaper  has  that 
fixes  its  value  as  an  advertising  medium,  but  it  is  more  the  char- 
acter and  standing  of  its  readers,  the  appearance  of  the  paper,  its 
news  features,  its  editorial  ability,  and  its  general  standing  in  the 
community.  An  enterprising,  progressive,  fair,  and  well- 
conducted  newspaper  of  good  typographical  appearance,  well 
established  in  a  community,  is  a  more  profitable  advertising 
meditmi  than  a  widely  circulated  inferior  newspaper  with  circula- 
tion ten  times  as  large,  gained  by  bombast,  sensationalism,  and 
gift  enterprises  and  guessing-matches.  ...  A  man's  ability, 
his  tact,  his  ingenuity,  his  administrative  powers,  his  watchful- 
ness and  care  of  his  business  are  all  more  necessary  in  the  time  of 
his  prosperity  than  when  he  is  struggling  to  make  ends  meet.  It 
is  in  prosperous  times  that  a  man's  qualifications  assert  them- 
selves. It  is  a  mistaken  idea  that  a  man  who  imagines  he  has 
established  himself  from  a  small  beginning  has  registered  a  success 
when  he  has  apparently  become  prosperous.  There  is  more  truth 
than  poetry  in  the  old  saw,  'It  is  easier  to  earn  than  to 
keep.'  .  .  . 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  55 

"In  this  great  country,  with  its  varied  resources,  its  undeveloped 
and  buried  treasures,  its  magnificent  opportunities  in  ahnost 
every  calling  and  profession — art,  science,  or  trade — a  man  who 
enjoys  good  health,  is  industrious,  energetic,  and  persistent, 
should  not  fail  to  succeed.  His  greatest  difficulty  is  not  in  making 
a  fortime,  but  in  keeping  it.  .  .  .  The  requirements  of  a 
small  community  are  greater  than  those  of  a  large  city.  In  a 
small  town  an  all-around  newspaper  man  is  needed;  no  sailing 
under  false  colors;  what  is  in  him  is  soon  known.  The  editors 
and  publishers  of  the  great  daily  newspapers  are  removed  from 
the  people,  they  occupy  a  lofty  place  from  which  they  gaze  with 
cynical  eyes  upon  the  transactions  of  the  world.  Their  per- 
sonality is  unknown  to  the  people.  Not  so  with  those  occupying 
similar  positions  on  the  smaller  daily  newspaper;  they  are  in  the 
same  atmosphere  of  ideas  and  sympathies  with  the  people;  they 
reflect  the  sentiments  of  their  commimities,  for  they  come  daily 
in  contact  with  almost  every  element  of  their  constituency. 
Briefly  stated,  the  small  daily  newspaper  is  representative  of  the 
people,  the  metropolitan  daily  seeking  to  be.  .  .  .  Men  of 
eccentric  ideas,  cranks,  idealists,  bigots,  and  sometimes  fools, 
may  maintain  themselves,  by  very  reason  of  their  idiocy,  on  a 
large  daily  newspaper,  but  never  on  a  small  daily.  The  quaHfica- 
tions  needed  to  conduct  successfully  a  small  daily  newspaper  are 
multitudinous  and  usually  require  all  the  abiUty  necessary  to 
conduct  a  metropoHtan  journal,  and  much  more." 

In  1896,  five  years  after  that  address  at  St.  Paul,'  with  an 
abiding  faith  in  the  principles  and  theories  therein  expressed,  I 
came  to  New  York  City  and  acquired  the  control  and  manage- 
ment of  The  New  York  Times.  It  then  had  a  net  paid  daily 
circulation  of  10,000,  its  advertising  patronage  was  small,  its 
competitors  prosperous  and  in  strong  financial  hands.  I  thought 
there  was  an  opportunity  in  this  great  city  for  a  metropolitan  news- 
paper conducted  on  ideal  interior  daily  principles;  a  newspaper 
with  all  the  news  that's  fit  to  print,  honestly  presented  and  fairly 
and  intelligently  interpreted;  a  newspaper  for  enlightened,  thought- 
ful people;  a  newspaper  conducted  as  a  decent,  dignified  journal. 

I  was  thought  a  bold  man,  with  more  money  than  brains — a 
jay  come  to  town — and  it  was  prophesied  that  my  metropolitan 
career  would  be  short,  while  speculation  of  all  kinds  was  indulged 
in  as  to  whom  and  what  I  represented  and  whose  money  was 
being  sacrificed. 


56         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

Now  right  here  I  wish  to  make  a  statement  of  interest  to  those 
of  the  curious  who  may  wish  to  know  how  I  came  into  possession 
of  the  controlling  and  majority  interest  of  The  New  York  Times. 
I  shall  make  no  new  disclosures,  for  the  facts  were  not  only  known 
at  the  time,  but  widely  published,  and  they  are  as  follows: 

The  George  Jones  estate  sold  in  1893  the  name  and  good-will 
of  The  New  York  Times  for  $1,000,000  cash  to  The  New  York 
Times  Publishing  Company,  a  company  made  up  largely  of  a 
number  of  very  well-known  men,  actuated  by  the  highest  motives 
to  preserve  The  Times  as  an  independent  Democratic  newspaper. 
The  panic  of  1893  and  insufficient  capital  proved  too  great  a 
burden,  and  the  company  came  to  grief  in  1896.  It  was  then  I 
became  acquainted  with  the  situation,  and  was  encouraged  to 
grapple  the  problem  that  many  well-known  and  experienced 
publishers  decline  to  tackle.  Perhaps  it  was  a  case  in  which  fools 
rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread.  Part  of  the  simile  is  true,  for  I 
certainly  had  no  "angel"  with  me.  I  organized  a  company  imder 
a  new  charter — ^the  present  New  York  Times  Company — ^with 
10,000  shares  capital  stock  (par  value  $100)  and  $500,000  5  per 
cent  bonds;  took  up  the  million  dollars  of  stock  of  the  old  com- 
pany by  giving  in  exchange  2,000  shares  of  the  new  company; 
paid  the  debts  of  the  old  company  dollar  for  dollar  with  $300,000 
of  the  5  per  cent  bonds;  and  with  some  difficulty  the  remaining 
$200,000  of  bonds  I  sold  at  par  for  cash  by  giving  to  every  pur- 
chaser of  a  $1,000  bond  fifteen  shares  of  stock  as  a  bonus.  I 
subscribed  for  $75,000  of  the  bonds  and  received  1,125  shares  of 
stock  as  a  bonus,  and — as  was  stipulated  in  the  articles  of  the 
organization  plan — I  received  3,876  shares  of  the  capital  stock  as 
compensation  when  three  years  after  its  organization  the  company 
was  placed  on  a  paying  basis.  The  value  placed  on  the  shares 
shortly  after  I  asstmied  the  management  was  indicated  by  a  sale 
of  some  of  them  at  ten  cents  on  the  dollar. 

So  in  this  way  I  acquired  the  control,  the  majority  stock  of  the 
New  York  Times  Company  (5,001  shares),  as  the  result  of  my 
work  and  the  investment  of  $75,000  in  its  bonds.  And  this 
majority  and  controlling  interest,  somewhat  increased,  I  now  own 
and  possess,  free,  clear,  and  unencumbered  in  any  shape,  form, 
or  fashion.  Adding  to  my  interest  the  shares  held  by  others, 
there  is  nearly  90  per  cent  of  the  capital  stock  of  the  New  York 
Times  Company  owned  in  the  office  of  The  Times  by  persons 
Bolely  employed  in  producing  The  Times, 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  57 

I  have  never  had  any  partners  and  there  has  never  been  any 
one  who  had  any  control  of  or  voice  in  my  affairs  or  who  in  any 
form  could  affect  my  entire  freedom  of  action.  We  have  been 
conducting  a  very  large  and  rapidly  developing  business,  having 
invested  over  $4,000,000  in  real  estate,  and  more  than  $1,000,000 
in  printing  machinery,  and  there  has,  of  course,  been  much 
financing  to  do,  but  it  has  been  done  without  in  any  instance,  by 
word  or  deed,  by  understanding  or  implication,  involving  the 
attitude  of  The  New  York  Times  toward  any  man  or  interest, 
any  measure  or  purpose.  There  never  was  a  man  or  interest  that 
could  require  me  to  do  his  or  its  bidding  or  consult  his  or  its  wishes, 
and  I  am  proud  to  say  I  am  to-day,  as  is  The  New  York  Times, 
firmly  intrenched  in  that  independence.  We  are  our  own  masters, 
beholden  to  no  one. 

You  may  be  interested  in  knowing  what  has  been  the  practical 
result  of  applying  the  principles  suggested  at  St.  Paul  twenty- 
five  years  ago  for  the  publication  of  a  newspaper  in  a  great  city. 
Twenty  years  ago  The  Times,  as  I  have  said,  had  scarcely  10,000 
daily  circulation;  to-day  its  net  paid  circulation  exceeds  325,000. 
The  gross  annual  income  in  1896  is  now  exceeded  every  month  in 
legitimate  income  from  advertisements  and  circulation. 

One  of  the  greatest  factors  in  achieving  this  result  was  not 
mentioned — because  not  then  fully  appreciated — in  the  St. 
Paul  catalogue  of  the  qualifications  required  successfully  to 
manage  a  daily  newspaper.  It  was  a  great  omission,  as  my  years 
of  experience  have  taught  me,  and  I  wish  now  to  add  it  and  give 
it  the  utmost  emphasis  by  marking  it  "top  of  column,"  and  that 
is  that  the  successful  manager  should  have  the  abiHty  to  judge 
and  appreciate  other  men's  qualifications,  to  secure  their  assistance 
and  to  win  and  retain  their  respect  and  confidence  in  his  plans 
and  good  intentions. 

I  have  been  most  fortunate  in  this  respect  in  the  management 
of  The  Times.  I  could  not  wish  for  more  loyal  and  capable  men 
than  those  holding  the  responsible  positions  in  The  Times  organ- 
ization. They  have  been  untiring,  ever  enthusiastic,  and  un- 
grudgingly giving  the  best  of  their  abilities  to  the  upbuilding  of 
the  newspaper,  to  preserve  its  best  traditions,  and  maintain  the 
highest  standards  of  journalism.  They  have  given  to  the  task 
what  money  cannot  buy,  and  that  is  a  pride  in  their  work.  If  I 
wished  to  boast  of  anything  I  personally  may  have  accomplished, 
it  would  be  that  I  was  able  to  secia-e  the  co-operation  of  such 


S8  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

high-minded  and  talented  men,  and  have  them  confidently  believe 
in  the  soundness  and  sincerity  of  my  aspirations. 

A  distinguished  man — a  New  York  editor  and  publisher — some 
time  ago  told  some  mutual  friends  that  I  had  come  to  New  York 
and  taught  the  newspapers  something  new.  I  replied  that  I 
thought  he  was  inaccurate;  that  if  we  had  done  anything  worthy 
of  note  it  was  that  "we  had  reminded  them  of  something  they  had 
forgotten."  I  brought  no  new  journalism  to  New  York  City; 
we  have  practised,  as  best  we  could,  old  joumaUsm — ^the  journal- 
ism that  succeeds  in  small  towns  where  the  high  standards  of  the 
profession  are  demanded  and  practised  by  self-respecting  men. 

In  my  address  at  St.  Paul  I  frankly  gave  a  stmimary  of  the 
cost  of  conducting  a  daily  newspaper  in  a  very  small  town,  based 
on  my  first  year's  experience  as  a  newspaper  publisher,  namely, 
the  business  of  The  Chattanooga  Times  in  the  year  1878,  when  I 
was  publishing  a  bourgeois  six-colimm  four-page  daily  morning 
paper  six  days  in  the  week.  The  population  of  Chattanooga  at 
that  period  was  about  12,000,  a  little  over  one-third  of  the  popula- 
tion being  negroes.  The  printing  outfit  was  of  old  material, 
having  had  several  years*  hard  usage.  The  price  of  composition 
was  25  cents  a  thousand.  A  pony  Associated  Press  report  cost 
$2  5  a  week.  Two  men  were  employed  in  the  editorial  department. 
The  chief  editorial  writer  had  other  regular  employment,  but 
contributed  a  column  or  so  to  the  paper  for  a  small  consideration, 
and  two  younger  brothers,  one  quite  a  lad,  assisted  in  gathering 
news  and  in  general-utility  work  about  the  office.  The  total 
expenses  of  the  first  year  were  $10,000,  divided  as  follows: 

For  the  proprietor,  who  was  the  editor,  adver- 
tising  solicitor,  and   business   manager,  to   ' 

provide  for  his  living  expenses $900.00 

For  the  bookkeeper,  collector,  and  clerk 500.00 

For  an  editor,  doing  the  local  work  in  addition 

to  general  editorship 600.00 

For  a  reporter — assistant  editor 400.00 

Rent 300.00 

Foreman,  also  proofreader  and  pressman 720.00 

Five  printers,  average  $10  each  a  week 2,600.00 

Two  boys,  one  assisting  the  foreman  and  acting 
as  mailing  clerk,  the  other  as  janitor  and  to 
"turn  the  press" 520.00 


ADOLPH   S.    OCHS 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  59 

Paper,  750  sheets  a  day  (22x31,  25  pounds) . . .  $530.00 

Telegrams,  $25  a  week 1,300.00 

Fire,  water,  and  light 360.00 

Stationery  and  office  incidentals 360.00 

Carrier  boys  and  incidental  help 360.00 

Miscellaneous 550.00 


Total $ 


10,000.00 


The  income  for  the  year  was  approximately  $12,000.  So  that 
left  me  for  my  first  year's  experience  as  a  newspaper  publisher 
and  proprietor  about  $75  a  month  for  my  living  expenses  and  a 
book  profit  of  about  $2,000.  It  was  not  a  bad  start  for  my  first 
year,  for  I  became  publisher  and  proprietor  of  The  Chattanooga 
Times  when  I  was  twenty  years  old.  Incidentally,  I  am  still 
publisher  and  proprietor  of  The  Chattanooga  Times — now  a  morn- 
ing newspaper  with  over  25,000  daily  circulation  in  a  town  grown, 
with  its  environs,  to  about  100,000  population. 

It  may  interest  you  if  I  compare  some  of  the  above  figures  with 
the  present  expenses  of  The  New  York  Times.  Take  some  items, 
giving  round  figures,  for  the  month  of  May,  1916: 

The  New  York  Times  regularly  employs  1,200  persons,  consumes 
an  average  of  about  100  tons  of  paper  every  day,  and  requires 
daily  a  ton  of  printer's  ink.  And  this  suggests  the  problem: 
"If  a  drop  of  ink  makes  millions  think,  how  many  million  can  a 
ton  of  ink  make  think?"  The  payroll  averages  $32,000  a  week, 
about  equally  divided  into  three  groups,  namely,  news  and 
editorial  department,  the  mechanical  departments,  and  the 
executive  and  business  departments.  No  man,  by  the  way, 
actively  employed  on  The  Times  has  ever  had  his  salary  reduced. 

Our  transportation  charges,  that  is,  the  cost  of  delivering  the 
paper  to  mail  subscribers  and  newsdealers,  exceed  $5,000  a  week — 
nearly  one  cent  a  pound  on  the  total  paper  constunption.  We 
pay  over  $100,000  a  year  for  telegraph  and  cable  tolls.  The 
revenue  of  The  Times  from  circulation  is  about  half  its  revenue 
from  advertising.  Our  revenue  from  circulation,  which  is  more 
than  a  million  and  a  half  dollars  annually,  exceeds  our  white  paper 
cost.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  one-third  of  our  daily  circula- 
tion is  a  two-cent  circulation,  and  the  Sunday  edition  is  five  cents. 
Frequently  a  single  Sunday  issue  yields  over  $50,000  in  circulation 
and  advertising  receipts.    In  May — ^thirty-one  days — ^the  issue 


Go         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

of  The  Times  aggregated  926  pages;  47.67  per  cent  was  advertis- 
ing, representing  1,095,525  agate  lines.  The  average  advertising 
in  the  daily  was  79.07  columns  a  day,  and  in  each  Sunday  issue 
345.07  columns.  The  number  of  pages  printed  during  the  month 
of  May  was  332,413,816,  of  which  5.16  per  cent  was  lost  in  waste, 
spoiled  paper,  etc.,  in  the  press  room.  There  was  no  waste  in 
circulation,  because  we  have  no  returns. 

One  or  two  typical  items  in  the  expense  of  conducting  a  great 
daily  newspaper  will  illustrate  what  is  involved  in  publishing  an 
up-to-date,  enterprising  daily  newspaper  that  never  considers 
cost  in  getting  the  news: 

About  a  year  ago  the  Pope  issued  a  peace  appeal  in  the  form 
of  a  letter,  in  which  he  said,  among  other  things:  "Blessed  be  he 
who  first  extends  the  olive  branch."  The  Associated  Press 
delivered  a  brief  abstract  of  it.  Upon  inquiry,  the  managing 
editor  of  The  Times  learned  that  this  was  all  the  Associated  Press 
had,  and  it  was  then  far  in  the  night.  He  immediately  sent  in- 
structions by  cable  to  our  correspondent  at  Rome  to  send  the  full 
text  of  the  Pope's  letter  if  he  could  ascertain  that  it  had  not  been 
sent  by  the  Associated  Press.  In  time  for  publication  in  the  next 
morning's  Times  we  received  the  full  letter  by  cable.  It  contained 
a  thousand  words.  But  it  reached  us  two  hours  after  we  received 
the  full  text  through  the  Associated  Press,  the  Associated  Press 
having  received  it  from  Paris  and  not  through  its  Rome  office. 
Consequently,  the  message  we  received  was  useless  and  was 
thrown  into  the  waste  basket. 

Another  incident — when  the  first  great  Zeppelin  raid  was  made 
on  England  the  press  censorship  was  down  so  tight  that  no  par- 
tictdars  could  be  sent  by  cable.  We  were  compelled  to  await  the 
arrival  of  the  mail  and  the  first  travelers  arriving  from  England, 
but  by  use  of  the  Marconi  wireless,  as  soon  as  we  could  get  in 
touch  with  the  approaching  ship,  and  at  the  cost  of  a  thousand 
dollars,  we  were  enabled  to  secure  from  passengers  on  the  ship 
a  graphic  account  of  the  disaster,  and  pubHshed  it  twenty-four 
hours  before  the  arrival  of  the  ship  in  port,  bringing  the  mail 
stories  for  other  newspapers.  "It  was  simply  in  the  course  of 
business,"  said  the  managing  editor  when  his  competitors  awoke. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  European  war  the  cables  were  deluged 
with  messages  and  so  choked  that  days  elapsed  before  matter  got 
through,  and  consequently  messages  costing  thousands  of  dollars 
were  valueless  when  received.    In  one  day  we  had  several  hundred 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  6i 

dollars  of  cables  out  of  date  and  useless.  This  illustrates  the 
expense  involved  in  the  ordinary  process  of  gathering  news,  to 
say  nothing  of  such  sensational  and  exceptional  instances  as  the 
cost  of  the  first  news  of  the  discovery  of  the  North  Pole,  the 
Titanic  disaster,  and  other  news  beats.  During  the  Irish  revolt, 
there  being  delay  in  the  press  messages,  The  Times  received  its 
news  at  full  commercial  rate,  twenty-five  cents  a  word.  These 
few  items  give  you  some  conception  of  what  is  involved  in  the 
publication  of  a  great  metropolitan  newspaper. 

I  wish  to  say  in  concluding  that  the  success  of  The  New  York 
Times,  reflected  in  its  growing  good-will  and  the  confidence  it  is 
gaining  throughout  the  land,  is  an  expression  of  encouragement 
and  support  to  conservative  journalism  that  should  inspire  every 
newspaper  maker.  What  I  have  been  able  to  accomplish,  with 
my  limited  abilities  and  without  capital,  except  that  which  was 
created  in  my  business,  should  give  encouragement  to  every  man 
engaged  in  our  profession;  for  there  are  innimierable  opportunities 
throughout  this  country  such  as  it  was  my  good  fortime  to  find 
in  New  York  City.  Perhaps  there  is  another  such  opportunity 
here;  certainly,  as  I  view  it,  there  are  similar  opportunities  in 
many  other  big  cities;  and  this  is  certain,  that  there  is  not  a 
metropolitan  newspaper  office  that  would  not  make  room  for  and 
welcome  into  its  organization  a  successful,  experienced,  thoroughly 
equipped  small  daily  newspaper  editor  and  publisher — one  who  is 
respected  and  esteemed  in  his  home  town  and  there  recognized  as 
too  big  for  his  town  and  capable  of  greater  responsibilities. 


VI 

The  Montreal  Sta/s  Great  Success 

Moving  along  parallel  lines  with  the  great  de- 
velopments of  independent  journalism  in  the  United 
States,  Hugh  Graham  built  The  Montreal  Star  into 
the  leading  daily  journal  of  Canada  and  probably 
from  many  standpoints  the  most  influential  news- 
paper on  the  American  continent. 

Too  few  of  us  in  the  United  States  even  partially 
appreciate  the  superiority  of  the  broad  treatment 
of  important  news  received  from  widely  different 
sources  every  day,  sanely,  accurately,  independently 
and  intelligently  represented  by  the  policy  pursued 
by  The  Star. 

In  1869  Hugh  Graham,  as  a  half  partner,  started 
The  Star  without  any  capital.  It  looked  like  a  wild 
venture.  There  were  three  old  established  papers 
in  the  field.'  The  concern  was  quickly  involved  in 
debt,  but  somehow  the  partners  inspired  confidence 
in  all  who  had  business  relations  with  them.  It  took 
nine  years  to  turn  the  comer,  at  which  time  the  paper 
had  debts  that  few  men  could  have  lived  under.  In 
twelve  years  from  its  birth  The  Star  commenced  over- 
taking its  old  contemporaries  and  in  a  few  years  more 
it  had  them  all  distanced  in  circulation,  advertising, 
enterprise,  and  general  prestige. 

The  Star  is  absolutely  independent,  which,  in  con- 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING  63 

nection  with  its  policy  of  doing  big  things  better  than 
most  other  newspapers  do  ordinary  things,  has  made 
it  a  power  in  the  Dominion  and  looked  upon  in  Eng- 
land as  representing  the  soundest  thought  of  Canada 
on  all  Imperial  projects. 

The  Star  has  been  wonderfully  enterprising  in 
gathering  the  news  of  the  world,  going  further  in  this 
field,  indeed,  than  any  newspaper  in  the  United  States, 
and  has  initiated  and  fought  through  to  recognition 
and  enactment  many  public  policies  which  it  thought 
of  benefit  to  the  city  of  Montreal,  to  Canada,  and  to 
the  British  Empire. 

In  the  handling  of  news.  The  Star  has  uniformly 
sought  to  make  the  most  of  the  biggest  thing  of  the 
day,  whether  it  has  been  the  war,  a  revolution,  an 
election,  an  earthquake,  or  other  great  event.  By 
playing  up  the  big  thing  more  copiously  and  more 
accurately  than  its  contemporaries,  and  consistently 
maintaining  superiority  in  its  treatment  of  the  ordi- 
nary, it  has  won  dominance. 

The  Star  has  taken  an  active  part  in  more  than  a 
hundred  elections,  but  never  as  the  controlled  voice 
of  a  political  party.  Jealous  of  its  name  and  in- 
fluence it  has,  on  the  contrary,  always  made  the 
organization  its  debtor,  and  in  perseverance  of  this 
policy  has  never  been  a  suppliant  to  any  party  or  to 
any  individual. 

Because  of  the  strength  of  his  personality,  absolute 
independence  of  judgment  has  always  marked  Sir 
Hugh  Graham,  and  through  him  The  Star.  Never, 
even  in  the  early  days  of  struggle  for  existence,  would 
he  allow  his  paper  to  be  in  any  way  bound,  or  have 
his  own  hands  tied,  by  any  of  the  many  forms  of 
direct  and  indirect  subsidy.    The  temptation  must 


64         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

have  been  great,  for  those  who  knew  him  in  those 
days  say  he  often  did  not  know  from  one  day  to 
another  where  the  money  was  coming  from  to  buy 
the  paper  to  run  off  the  next  issue. 

When  The  Star  was  started  the  feehng  between  Prot- 
estants and  CathoHcs  in  Montreal  was  very  strained. 
Sir  Hugh  Graham  recognized  that  if  an  English- 
speaking  paper  in  the  city  of  Montreal  was  to  be  a 
real  success,  it  must  have  the  support  of  both  Catho- 
lics and  Protestants,  for  in  this  way  it  would  gain 
readers  among  all  the  well-to-do  French  families  as 
well  as  secure  the  solid  support  of  the  Irish,  a  very 
important  part  of  the  community. 

So  he  set  out  to  provide  a  newspaper  on  broad 
lines  that  would  appeal  to  every  class  of  the  com- 
munity, and  that  would  especially  appeal  to  the 
sympathies  of  a  section  whose  support  an  esteemed 
contemporary  had  alienated,  namely,  the  Irish  Catho- 
lics. Thus,  among  the  earliest  standing  rules  in  The 
Star  office  was  one  that  the  paper  must  never  go 
to  press  without  an  item  of  news  from  Ireland  in 
it.  That  rule  holds  good  to  the  present  day.  No 
matter  what  issue  you  take  up,  in  that  issue  you  will 
find  an  item  of  news  from  Ireland — often  a  purely 
local  news  item. 

The  pubHsher  of  The  Star  was  knighted  by  King 
Edward  in  1909  for  services  to  the  Empire  and  in 
191 7  was  given  a  peerage,  with  a  seat  in  the  British 
House  of  Lords  with  the  title  of  Lord  Atholstan,  for 
conspicuous  services  in  safeguarding  Imperial  in- 
terests. Lord  Atholstan  of  The  Montreal  Star  is  the 
only  journalist  outside  the  British  Isles  in  the  British 
peerage,  a  mark  of  extraordinary  preferment. 

The  Star  was  the  first  newspaper  in  Canada  to 


LORD  ATHOLSTAN 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  65 

realize  the  news  value  of  the  Imperial  idea.  When 
it  set  up  a  branch  office  in  London  and  went  to  the 
heavy  expense  of  having  its  own  London  corre- 
spondent cable  over  special  news  every  day  to  bind 
Great  Britain  and  Canada  in  more  intimate  bonds  of 
mutual  interest,  it  struck  a  very  sympathetic  chord  in 
the  hearts  of  all  who  were  proud  of  their  British 
ancestry.  The  Star  was  the  first  paper  in  Canada 
to  have  an  independent  cable  service  of  its  own,  and 
thus  to  offset  the  effect  of  British  news  colored  for 
consumption  in  the  United  States.  That  alone  gave 
The  Star  a  wonderful  hold  on  the  people  and  greatly 
enlarged  its  prestige  throughout  Canada. 

A  study  of  The  Star's  long  record  of  big  things  well 
done  and  its  apphcation  of  the  basic  principles  out- 
lined in  this  book  would  be  profitable  to  any  am- 
bitious newspaper  man  wishing  to  attain  maximum 
results  in  any  field. 


VII 

Story  of  The  New  York  Globe 

The  story  of  how  The  Commercial  Advertiser,  the 
oldest  existing  daily  evening  newspaper  in  America, 
founded  in  1793  by  Noah  Webster,  with  12,000  readers, 
was  changed  into  The  Globe  on  February  i,  1904, 
with  100,000  circulation  overnight  is  usually  of 
immense  interest  to  gatherings  of  newspaper  men 
when  I  tell  it. 

It  was  not  so  sudden  a  change  as  it  looked  to  out- 
siders. For  three  months  we  had  been  getting  ready 
to  change  the  old  conservative  two-cent  evening  news- 
paper— ^which  for  over  one  hundred  and  eleven  years 
had  slumbered  peacefully,  contented  with  merely  going 
through  the  motions  of  newspaper  making — into  a 
live  one-cent  newspaper.  No  one  in  the  office  except 
those  directly  in  touch  with  the  promotional  work  in 
hand  knew  what  was  going  on. 

All  of  the  principal  illuminated  painted  signs  along 
Broadway  were  secured  for  three  months,  hundreds 
or  thousands  of  smaller  painted  signs  and  bill-board 
space  were  reserved.  One  hundred  thousand  minia- 
ture Globes  were  addressed  to  100,000  New-Yorkers 
and  100,000  what  we  called  push-out  cards  were 
ready  to  flash  the  news  over  Sunday,  January  31, 
1904.     New  York  went  to  bed  that  Saturday  night 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING         67 

with  only  a  few  thousand  of  its  inhabitants  satisfied 
with  their  old  reliable  newspaper. 

The  Globe  office  was  a  center  of  activity.  Whole 
page  advertisements  for  the  Sunday  papers  were 
rushed  around,  all  the  painted  signs  took  definite 
shape,  the  paper  was  being  pasted  on  the  bill-boards, 
the  100,000  miniature  Globes  and  the  100,000  push- 
out  cards  were  in  the  maiks,  and  the  news  trade  of  the 
city  was  getting  an  unprecedented  proposition.  Cir- 
culars to  the  news  trade,  printed  in  Yiddish,  Italian, 
German,  French,  and  English,  told  the  newsdealers 
that  The  Globe  was  to  give  them  an  extra  profit  for 
pushing  it  instead  of  spending  the  money  for  other 
advertising — they  were  to  get  their  supply  of  papers 
for  a  few  months  at  four  for  one  cent,  instead  of  at 
sixty  cents  per  hundred.  They  were  instructed  to 
honor  the  push-outs  from  the  push-out  cards  if 
presented  by  people  asking  for  The  Globe  during  its 
first  week,  and  that  we  should  redeem  them  at  one 
cent  apiece. 

New  York  woke  up  Monday  morning,  February  i, 
1904,  to  find  that  its  oldest  and  one  of  its  most  con- 
servative high-priced  newspapers  had  gone  to  one 
cent,  was  going  to  be  a  bigger  and  better  newspaper 
for  one  cent  than  it  had  been  previously  for  two  cents; 
and  100,000  of  them  bought  it.  The  average  net 
paid  circulation  of  The  Globe  in  its  first  month  was 
86,722,  in  March  it  was  96,503,  and  in  April  it  passed 
the  century  mark  with  112,733. 

Results  simply  swamped  the  limited  mechanical 
facilities  of  the  old  Commercial  Advertiser  plant.  An 
advertising  campaign  to  promote  the  sale  of  the 
rejuvenated  newspaper  for  its  first  three  months  had 
to  be  stopped  short,  for  we  could  not  handle  the  thing. 


68  NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

Most  sangtdne  expectations  for  circulation  had  been 
placed  at  50,000  at  the  end  of  six  months.  Instead 
of  this  we  had  100,000  practically  overnight. 

For  the  next  six  years  The  Globe  hovered  around  the 
100,000  mark,  sometimes  up  a  bit  and  sometimes  a 
Httle  lower.  Its  treatment  of  news  and  affairs  seemed 
to  hold  it  "at  about  that  figure.  It  was  ripe  for  the 
development  that  came  later.  Such  was  the  situa- 
tion in  the  early  part  of  19 10.  The  newspaper  then 
had  between  70,000  and  90,000  circulation,  and  was 
losing  money  quite  copiously.  At  that  time  I  was 
advanced  from  the  position  of  assistant  publisher  to 
that  of  pubHsher,  and  on  the  basis  of  the  strongest 
kind  of  a  working  program  with  H.  J.  Wright,  editor- 
in-chief  of  The  Globe  for  many  years,  we  undertook 
the  seemingly  impossible. 

Mr.  Wright  entered  the  newspaper  business  fresh 
from  New  York  University  in  1885,  when  he  became 
a  reporter  on  The  Commercial  Advertiser.  From  there 
he  went  to  The  Evening  Post  as  city  editor. 

In  1896  he  returned  to  The  Commercial  Advertiser 
as  editor-in-chief,  and  has  been  in  continuous  service 
ever  since.  What  he  and  I  have  done  with  The 
Globe  as  running  and  team  mates  demonstrates  afresh 
the  truth  of  the  theory  that  no  newspaper  success 
can  be  made  without  close  co-operation  between  busi- 
ness and  editorial  departments. 

When  the  writer  assumed  the  position  of  publisher 
of  The  Globe  in  19 10,  at  a  time  when  no  one  connected 
with  the  newspaper  thought  it  had  any  prospect  of 
being  put  upon  a  successful  basis,  he  did  so  with  a 
clear  vision  of  what  he  intended  to  do.  As  The  Kansas 
City  Star  was  inspired  by  the  success  of  The  Chicago 
Daily  News  adapted  to  meet  the  requirements  of 


H.   J.    WRIGHT 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING         69 

Kansas  City,  and  The  Philadelphia  Bulletin  was  made 
a  success  by  following  the  lead  of  The  Chicago  Daily 
News  and  The  Kansas  City  Star^  so  was  The  Globe  by 
taking  stock  of  their  successful  experience  and  applying 
it  to  New  York  conditions. 

I  studied  and  studied  these  great  newspapers,  sub- 
scribed for  them  and  had  them  at  my  home  every  day. 
I  visited  their  cities  and  checked  them  up  from  every 
angle  obtainable. 

It  took  me  a  full  year  to  get  The  Globe  into  such 
shape  circulation-wise  (as  demonstrated  by  an  audit 
of  the  old  Association  of  American  Advertisers  proving 
103,000  in  the  year  ended  June  30,  191 1),  that  I  felt 
courage  enough  to  tackle  the  big  fellows  with  an  idea. 

When  we  had  100,000  solid  and  proved  I  sprang 
the  idea  back  of  the  Associated  Newspapers  on  Victor 
F.  Lawson.  This  idea  was  the  co-operative  produc- 
tion of  the  best  feature  matter  obtainable  by  a  group 
of  leading  evening  newspapers  throughout  the 
country. 

Mr.  Lawson  accepted  the  plan  and  suggested  that 
I  secure  the  co-operation  of  Colonel  Nelson,  Mr. 
McLean,  and  General  Charles  H.  Taylor  of  The 
Boston  Globe.  This,  backed  up  by  Mr.  Lawson's 
indorsement,  I  did  and  we  organized  a  small 
corporation. 

That  the  idea  was  timely  was  proved  by  my  success 
in  securing  clients  for  the  service.  I  visited  thirty 
cities  and  induced  twenty-eight  newspapers  to  be- 
come associated  in  the  service. 

So  far  as  The  New  York  Globe  was  concerned  the 
carrying  out  of  the  idea  brought  it  substantially  all 
the  best  feature  matter  of  the  great  dominant  evening 
newspapers  of  the  country  at  nominal  cost,  placed  it 


70         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

in  a  natural  grouping  with  them,  and  gave  me  abun- 
dant opportunity  still  further  to  study  the  why  of 
their  success.  The  result  was  steadily  growing  cir- 
culation and  prestige  just  the  same  as  has  come  to 
every  newspaper  in  the  Associated  Newspapers  that 
has  taken  advantage  of  the  opportunities  it  offered. 

When  in  August,  191 1,  The  Globe  adopted  the 
policy  of  selling  its  advertising  space  as  a  commodity 
on  the  basis  of  net  paid  circulation,  in  accordance  with 
a  basic  principle  of  the  great  newspapers  it  took  as 
models,  we  had  quite  a  hurdle  to  surmount. 

Up  to  that  time  only  one  New  York  daily  newspaper 
sold  its  advertising  on  the  basis  of  net  paid  circula- 
tion— The  World.  All  the  others  when  they  talked 
circulation  meant  gross  print  or  what  they  wanted 
people  to  think  they  printed. 

In  the  case  of  The  Globe  we  had  to  come  out  openly 
and  admit  that  138,000  circulation  (gross  print) 
meant  103,000  sold.  Every  one  in  the  office  told  me 
it  would  be  suicidal  to  make  such  a  statement,  but 
we  did  it  in  a  full-page  advertisement,  plainly  stating 
all  the  facts  and  boldly  challenging  other  newspapers 
to  do  the  same.  That  was  the  starting  point  of  a 
fight  for  honest  net  paid  circulation  statements  in 
New  York  which,  after  two  years,  led  me  to  conceive 
the  idea  of  transforming  the  old  Association  of  Ameri- 
can Advertisers  into  the  present  Audit  Bureau  of 
Circulations.  We  spent  thousands  of  dollars  in  the 
fight  to  bring  about  absolute  recognition  of  the  au- 
thenticity of  proved  circulation  figures.  I  traveled 
from  city  to  city  talking  on  honesty  in  circulation, 
and  finally  presented  the  plan  which  resulted  in 
clearing  the  atmosphere  in  a  nation-wide  movement. 
It  was  no  easy  task  to  get  the  ball  rolling.    There 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING  71 


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72  NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

was  opposition  and  objection  on  the  part  of  many 
newspapers  which  sold  honest  circulation.  Some 
objected  to  paying  for  the  service,  and  others  to 
opening  all  their  books  for  audits.  In  time  the 
thing  was  launched  and  we  made  every  thousand 
of  proved  circulation  worth  many  times  what  two 
thousand  of  the  old  ''claimed"  quality  could  com- 
mand. 

The  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations  now  has  over 
i,ooo  members  and  its  findings  are  accepted  with  the 
same  degree  of  confidence  as  a  federal  bank  examiner's. 
In  New  York  to-day  all  but  two  of  the  big  daily  news- 
papers submit  to  the  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulation 
audits.  In  the  old  days  whenever  we  made  a  circula- 
tion statement,  even  though  based  on  an  audit,  our 
competitors  would  come  out  with  irresponsible  claims 
of  a  few  thousand  more,  and  refuse  to  prove  the 
accuracy  of  their  figures. 

Meanwhile  all  my  traveling  about  the  country 
brought  me  to  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  difficul- 
ties of  the  general  advertiser  trying  to  introduce  a 
commodity  to  national  sale  through  newspaper  ad- 
vertising, and  to  a  clearer  appreciation  that  it  was  up 
to  newspaper  men  to  make  our  advertising  more 
effective. 

During  the  fall  of  191 2  we  started  publishing  a 
series  of  advertising  talks  entitled  ''Advertising  the 
Advertising."  I  conceived  the  idea  of  making  this 
a  new  national  campaign.  We  offered  it  free  of 
charge  to  any  daily  newspaper  that  would  print  it. 
The  result  was  that  in  three  months  we  had  over  800 
daily  newspapers  printing  this  matter  simultaneously. 
That  the  campaign  produced  intensified  reader  interest 
in  advertising  goes  without  saying.     In  order  to  give 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  73 

the  movement  cohesive  force  I  organized  the  United 
Newspapers  and  later  turned  the  whole  thing  into 
the  present  Bureau  of  Advertising  of  the  American 
Newspaper  Publishers  Association,  which  has  rendered 
and  is  rendering  important  service. 

Running  along  during  all  this  period  The  Globe, 
under  careful,  competent,  and  sympathetic  editorial 
management,  was  daily  becoming  a  better  and  more 
interesting  and  complete  newspaper.  We  were  doing 
big  and  really  valuable  things  every  little  while  which 
attracted  public  interest  and  won  increased  popular 
support.  Some  of  them  will  be  related  in  subsequent 
chapters. 

Our  pure-food  campaign,  the  biggest  and  most 
successful  single  thing  we  have  attempted,  won 
40,000  to  60,000  new  readers.  Our  putting  on  of 
The  Chicago  Daily  News  war-news  service  added 
25,000  to  40,000  more.  Every  wave  of  a  continuous 
oceanic  disturbance  left  some  part  of  the  water  with 
us  until  at  this  writing  we  are  more  firmly  intrenched 
on  the  right  side  of  the  200,000  mark  than  we  formerly 
were  over  the  100,000  mark.  Nothing  more  con- 
clusive regarding  a  newspaper's  standing  in  its  com- 
munity can  be  given  than  its  circulation  records, 
where  no  sensationalism,  gift  enterprise,  premiums,  or 
other  stunts  have  been  employed  to  produce  artificial 
stimulation. 

Here  are  figures  showing  the  average  net  paid 
circulation  of  The  Globe  for  the  year  ended  March  31, 
each  year: 

1911 I03»333 

1912 119,924 

1913 132,299 

1914 446,669 


74  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

1915 183,429 

1916 181,387 

1917 207,648 

To  indicate  the  distribution  of  the  circulation  of  an 
evening  newspaper  like  The  Globe  these  figures  show- 
ing the  averages  for  the  six  months  ended  September 
30,  1916,  are  given: 

Metropolitan  Dealers 185,596 

Suburban  Dealers 17,146 

Country  Dealers 5,757 

Mail  Subscribers 1,976 

Total  Paid  Circulation 210,475 

Advertiser's  Mail  List 306 

Exchanges loi 

Office  Use  and  Files 730 

Employees 140 

Service  Copies 463 

Total  Circulation 212,215 


.  PART   II 

I 

Beginning  a  Newspaper  Career 

Buying  an  Old  Paper  or  Starting  a  New 
One — Forecasting  Operating  Expenses — 
Morning    Versus   Evening  Newspapers 


VIII 

Experience  from   Unsuccess 

One  of  the  great  mysteries  to  those  who  have  been 
through  the  mill,  so  to  speak,  is  the  foolish  way  in 
which  those  who  are  about  to  start  a  newspaper  make 
their  calculations  regarding  costs  and  prospective 
returns.  There  is  some  strange  influence  which  seems 
to  urge  them  to  belittle  everything  that  is  going  to 
cost  real  money  and  to  magnify  prospective  business 
returns.  After  much  thought  I  have  reached  the 
conclusion  that  it  is  because  the  business  upon  which 
they  are  to  embark  is  so  unlike  any  other  legitimate 
commercial  enterprise,  and  the  visionary  profits  are 
so  enormous,  that  they  lose  all  sense  of  proportion. 
Colonel  Sellers,  with  his  estimates  of  the  prospective 
sale  of  his  eye-wash,  based  on  calculating  every  person 
above  ground  as  a  good  prospect,  would  have  been 
an  ideal  estimator  for  the  average  newspaper 
promoter. 

Newspaper  success  is  the  result  of  selling  our  manu- 
factured product  at  a  loss  until  we  reach  a  point  in 
the  traffic  where  the  sale  of  a  by-product  overcomes  all 
losses  incurred  and  yields  a  profit.  It  is  a  sort  of  a 
"lift  yourselves  by  your  boot-straps"  proposition 
that  is  as  alluring  as  it  is  deceptive.  It  is  a  business 
prolific  of  gymnastic  feats  in  the  mazes  of  profits  or 
losses   equaled   only  in  the  show  business,  where  a 

6 


78  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

production  is  either  a  "hit"  and  a  big  profit-producer 
or  a  ** frost"  and  a  bottomless  pit  for  the  ** angel's" 
money.  I  have  been  criticized  by  newspaper  editors 
for  my  oft-repeated  comparison  of  the  newspaper  to 
a  show  business,  but  I  know  of  no  two  dissimilar 
businesses  which  can  be  so  easily  analyzed  side  by  side 
as  these  two.  Both  depend  for  success  upon  popular 
support.  The  difference  is  that  the  newspaper  holds 
its  audience  longer  by  reason  of  service  features  not 
possessed  by  the  show  business. 

Back  of  our  best  and  most  reliable  news  service,  the 
successful  growing  newspaper  must  provide  enter- 
tainment, amusement,  laughs,  cries,  information,  and 
inspiration.  If  these  are  lacking  the  product  is 
merely  **a  newspaper,"  while  if  they  are  present  in 
a  degree  to  arrest  public  attention  and  hold  it  our 
newspaper  becomes  a  household  necessity  in  the  com- 
munity and  a  powerful  institution. 

All  of  this  is  a  bit  beyond  our  subject,  but  is  inter- 
jected here,  properly,  I  think,  to  guard  the  man  who 
projects  a  new  newspaper  not  to  think  all  he  has  to  do 
is  to  get  out  a  sheet  that  will  print  the  news  of  the 
day.  The  product  must  include  heart,  blood,  sym- 
pathy, encouragement  and  other  human  attributes,  or 
it  is  almost  an  impossibility  before  it  is  bom. 

Back  in  1893  it  became  my  good  fortune  (or  bad, 
whichever  way  we  choose  to  look  upon  it)  to  be  identi- 
fied as  business-manager  of  a  brand-new  newspaper 
in  New  York  City — The  Daily  Mercury.  To  be 
perfectly  frank,  as  I  now  look  back  upon  the  venture, 
I  was  as  little  qualified  to  make  a  success  of  it  as 
would  be  a  pet  dog  to  navigate  an  Atlantic  liner. 
Yet,  ignorant  and  inexperienced  as  I  was,  I  was 
probably  much  better  equipped  than  hundreds,  if  not 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  79 

thousands,  who  have  embarked  upon  the  more  or  less 
tempestuous  seas  of  joumaHsm.  I  had  had  upward 
of  fifteen  years  of  newspaper  experience.  I  had  been 
through  the  business  office  from  office  boy  to  assistant 
cashier  and  bookkeeper,  I  had  been  through  all  the 
mechanical  departments,  had  traveled  over  all  out- 
lying newspaper  territory  on  circulation  work,  and 
had  considerable  experience  in  selling  advertising. 

We  had  before  us  the  wonderfully  successful  ex- 
perience of  Joseph  Pulitzer  with  The  World,  starting 
as  he  did  in  1883,  ten  years  before.  We  had  good 
editors  of  long  and  broad  experience  and  figured  that 
all  we  had  to  do  was  to  get  out  a  sheet,  advertise  it 
thoroughly,  and  make  money. 

Many  months  in  advance  of  the  birth  of  this  new 
daily  newspaper  we  had  been  making  plans  for  grafting 
the  daily  edition  on  to  our  well-established  Sunday 
weekly.  Some  of  us  wanted  an  evening  edition  and 
some  a  morning  newspaper.  While  we  were  in  this 
wabbly  state  a  promoter  of  considerable  experience 
floated  in  with  a  scheme  that  he  guaranteed  would 
start  the  new  daily  with  a  circulation  of  100,000  a 
day.  His  plan  was  to  provide  every  reader  with  an 
accident  insurance  policy  contained  in  each  copy  of 
the  newspaper.  All  a  person  had  to  do  to  win  was  to 
be  foimd  dead  through  some  accident  with  a  copy  of 
that  day's  paper'  in  his  pocket.  We  later  discovered 
that  every  gang  of  workmen  had  two  or  three  copies 
of  the  paper,  one  of  which  they  placed  in  the  pocket 
of  every  fellow-workman  who  was  injured. 

The  scheme  appealed  to  the  powers  that  were  and 
we  started  securing  advance  orders  for  the  coming 
newspaper  by  engaging  spellbinders  to  visit  factories 
and  places  where  men  gathered  in  bunches  to  solicit 


8o  NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

advance  subscriptions  for  the  evening  paper  we  had 
then  decided  upon.  Some  forty  or  fifty  thousand 
advance  orders  were  in  hand  by  the  end  of  December, 
1892,  but  during  the  first  few  weeks  in  January  the 
boss  decided  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  start  an  evening 
newspaper  and  changed  the  whole  scheme  to  fit  a 
morning  edition.  All  our  careful  planning  and  prelimi- 
nary circulation  work  was  nullified.  The  enterprise 
was  destined  to  failure  from  that  day.  It  never  had  a 
chance,  regardless  of  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars  sunk  in  the  bottomless  pit  as  a  regular  daily 
newspaper,  but  years  and  years  afterward,  maintained 
at  a  loss  straight  along,  it  found  itself  as  a  sporting 
and  theatrical  daily  and  now  exists  as  The  Morning 
Telegraphy  a  profitable  and  successful  pubHcation. 

At  about  the  same  time  another  new  morning  news- 
paper was  thrown  foolishly  at  the  town  by  a  group  of 
Tammany  Hall  politicians,  centering  about  Richard 
Croker,  called  Daily  America.  This  mistaken  venture 
brought  down  upon  Croker' s  head  the  increased 
enmity  of  existing  newspapers  and  he  finally  turned 
it  over  to  us  on  The  Daily  Mercury,  Associated  Press 
service  and  all,  for  nothing  and  with  all  bills  paid. 

Meanwhile  another  newspaper  unsuccess  was 
struggling  on  in  painful  fashion,  the  old  Morning  Star, 
re-christened  The  Morning  Advertiser,  with  John  A. 
Cockrell  as  editor  and  James  F.  Graham  and  Foster 
Coates  as  assistants.  This  was  another  newspaper 
without  purpose  that  never  had  a  chance.  John  A. 
Cockrell  and  James  F.  Graham  had  both  had  suc- 
cessful experience  on  The  World  as  high  executives 
under  Joseph  PuHtzer.  They  both  felt  they  could  go 
forth  and  make  similar  success  for  themselves.  In 
this  they  failed,  as  scores  of  others  have  done  before 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  8i 

them,  because  they  did  not  possess  the  masterful  skill 
and  devoted  purpose  of  the  real  creator  of  a  great 
newspaper.  Another  offshoot  of  The  World  was 
George  W.  Turner,  who,  backed  by  the  Duke  millions, 
sought  to  float  The  New  York  Recorder^  another 
morning  newspaper  experiment.  Turner  had  been 
business-manager  of  The  World  and  was  prolific  of 
many  wonderful  gift  enterprises  and  catch-penny 
schemes.  He  established  a  mushroom  growth  both 
regarding  circulation  and  advertising,  which,  being 
founded  on  froth  and  scheming,  without  sincere  pur- 
pose, crumbled  like  a  house  of  cards  when  its  promoters 
got  tired  of  putting  up  money  to  see  the  wheels  go 
around. 

These  and  perhaps  a  hundred  similar  cases  could  be 
cited  to  prove  that  enduring  newspaper  success  can- 
not be  built  up  in  the  absence  of  real  broad  public 
service  well  and  conscientiously  performed. 

What  was  left  of  The  Morning  Advertiser  was  finally 
sold  to  William  R.  Hearst  and  brought  a  much-needed 
Associated  Press  membership  to  The  Morning  Journaly 
which  he  had  bought  from  John  R.  McLean,  who  had 
bought  it  from  Albert  Pulitzer,  and  which  he  later 
named  The  American, 

This  is  all  ancient  history,  but  the  lessons  drawn  from 
these  chapters  of  experience  are  most  valuable  to  the 
man  who  proposes  to  venture  on  the  sea  of  journalism. 
If  we  went  further  afield  and  dug  into  the  records  of 
newspaper  unsuccess  in  Chicago,  Philadelphia,  Kansas 
City,  Boston,  St.  Louis,  and  elsewhere,  we  should 
find  but  a  repetition  of  the  same  acts  with  changed 
scenery  by  similarly  unequipped  and  insincere  men. 


IX 

First  Count  the  Losses 

If  I  were  about  to  start  a  newspaper  in  a  highly 
competitive  field  like  New  York  or  any  of  our  larger 
cities,  I  should  sit  back  and  calmly  consider  all  the 
*'don'ts'*  much  more  seriously  than  when  I  was 
younger,  more  sanguine,  and  less  experienced. 

I  would  not  for  a  moment  think  of  trying  to  build 
up  from  a  standing  start  and  grow  by  gradual  stages 
as  so  many  have  tried  to  do  in  the  past  and  failed. 
There  was  a  time  when  a  man  could  win  out  by  such 
processes,  but  that  day  has  gone  long  since.  No 
newspaper  can  secure  a  foothold  unless  it  is  a  real 
newspaper  and  a  finished  product.  The  public  will 
not  buy  and  support  with  their  subscriptions  some- 
thing that  is  in  the  making.  Many  a  man  has  gone 
hopelessly  bankrupt  because  he  has  felt  that  he  could 
start  a  newspaper  to  fill  a  long-felt  want  with  the  hope 
of  ultimately  winning  support  on  a  large  scale.  The 
man  who  thinks  that  by  buying  a  single  press  and 
limited  equipment  he  can  limit  his  losses  and  defer 
other  facilities  until  business  developments  demand 
them  is  more  often  than  not  materially  limiting  his 
possibilities  for  success.  He  may  be  limiting  losses, 
but  he  is  making  total  losses  almost  a  certainty. 

Therefore,  in  starting  a  new  newspaper  enterprise 
I  should  either  have  equipment  equal,  if  not  superior 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING  83 

to,  that  of  any  competitor  in  the  field  and  make  the 
newspaper  I  produced  as  big  and  as  good  as  the  com- 
petitor, if  not  bigger  and  better,  or  I  would  wait  tiU 
I  could  get  these  essentials. 

The  public,  who  may  be  induced  by  advertising, 
sample  copies,  and  schemes  to  read  some  of  the  early 
issues,  cannot  be  long  deceived.  They  will  almost 
instantly  make  up  their  minds  whether  or  not  they  will 
forsake  the  old  for  the  new.  In  order  to  win  at  this 
crucial  moment  the  new  newspaper  must  be  bigger, 
better,  brighter,  or  of  stronger  human  interest. 

If  the  situation  were  otherwise,  newspaper  good- 
will and  established  circulation  would  not  be  worth 
anything.  Some  years  ago,  in  giving  testimony  as 
to  the  value  of  a  newspaper  property,  I  laid  down  the 
rule  that  I  would  rather  have  a  newspaper  with 
100,000  well-established  circulation  than  $1,000,000 
and  instructions  to  get  100,000  of  such  established 
circulation  with  the  money.  Notwithstanding  this 
high  value  placed  upon  long-established  and  main- 
tained circulations,  I  believe  that  in  almost  any  city 
there  exists  abundant  opportunity  for  successfully 
launching  new  newspaper  enterprises  or  for  upbuilding 
moribund  properties  to  successful  ones  by  picking  out 
new  lines  of  attack. 

In  starting  a  new  enterprise,  then,  or  attempting  to 
put  a  "dead  one"  on  its  feet,  I  should  first  want 
mechanical  equipment  equal  to  the  production  of  as 
many,  as  large,  and  as  good  newspapers  as  I  should 
reasonably  estimate  would  spell  a  successful  outcome 
of  the  venture.  If  there  were  an  eight-column  paper 
in  competition  with  me,  mine  would  be  eight  columns, 
too.  You  cannot  win  with  a  good  little  paper  against 
a  good  big  one.     For  the  purpose  of  our  estimate 


84  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

regarding  number  of  pages,  we  must  carefully  study 
what  the  people  of  a  community  are  used  to  receiving 
for  their  pennies  in  the  way  of  reading-matter  and 
other  details. 

By  hook  or  by  crook  our  new  newspaper  must  con- 
tain better  and  more  reading-matter  in  order  to  make 
an  impression.  This  is  not  usually  very  difficult,  for 
in  most  cases  the  absence  of  advertising  in  the  new 
newspaper  leaves  wide  range  of  space  for  reading- 
matter,  provided  those  running  it  have  the  necessary 
sense  and  backing  so  to  use  it. 

As  part  of  my  estimate  for  preliminary  investment 
I  should  include  a  heavy  item  of  loss  on  advertising 
from  the  town's  big  stores  for  the  first  year.  Regard- 
less of  all  talk  to  the  contrary,  a  fair  share  of  this 
business  is  as  necessary  to  newspaper  success  as  are 
the  news  and  features.  To  the  women  readers  the 
news  of  the  stores  and  their  bargain  offerings  is  often 
of  greater  interest  than  any  other  news.  While  the 
man  may  be  satisfied  with  your  newspaper  product 
as  a  newspSLper,  the  women-folks  will  gradually  make 
him  bring  home  the  other  paper  containing  the 
advertising,  instead  of  yours,  if  you  don't  carry  it. 
This  I  realize  is  a  horrible  confession  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  successful  publisher  who  has  grown  past 
the  period  when  he  had  to  carry  the  business  at  a 
loss.  He,  of  course,  now  preaches  the  gospel  of 
maintained  and  stiff  rates.  By  long  years  of  dili- 
gent plugging  he  has  beaten  down  the  resistance 
and  to-day  barely  gets  a  manufacturer's  profit  on 
the  traffic. 

A  number  of  years  ago  a  Chicago  evening  news- 
paper, by  various  forcing  processes,  reached  a  daily 
circulation  of  over  200,000  copies.     At  the  expiration 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  85 

of  these  six  months'  subscriptions  it  was  noticed  that 
the  subscribers  went  back  to  their  old  newspapers.  A 
checking  up  of  thousands  of  these  lapses  brought  the 

intelligence   **I  like  the very  well,   but  my 

wife  wants  the because  it  has  all  the  bar- 
gain advertisements  of  the  stores." 

Ever  since  that  experience  I  have  persistently 
studied  the  working  out  of  this  theory  in  relation  to 
newspapers  in  other  cities  and  have  checked  it  up  to 
the  point  where  it  may  be  accepted  as  a  basic  principle 
in  newspaper-making. 

By  a  similar  process,  it  has  for  years  been  recognized, 
as  a  general  rule,  the  heaviest  volume  of  classified 
advertising  in  a  newspaper  carries  with  it  a  large  bit 
of  additional  circulation.  Nearly  every  one  inserting 
an  advertisement  buys  a  newspaper  containing  it, 
and  thousands  buy  it  to  read  the  advertisements  of 
others.  If  inclined  to  doubt  this,  any  one  can  check 
me  up  by  visiting  any  of  a  score  of  points  about 
Chicago,  where,  as  mentioned  in  a  former  chapter,  at 
most  times  hundreds  of  unemployed  wait  about  for 
the  arrival  of  the  noon  and  other  editions  of  The 
Chicago  Daily  News  to  read  the  want  advertisements. 
The  same  thing  happens  in  more  or  less  degree  in 
New  York  with  The  World,  in  Kansas  City  with  The 
Star,  in  Boston  with  The  Globe,  and  in  other  cities 
with  the  popular  want  mediums.  A  peculiarity  of 
the  business  is  that  the  newspaper  which  carries  the 
bulk  of  the  classified  advertising  of  a  town  generally 
produces  most  profitable  results  to  the  merchants 
advertising  their  goods,  and,  as  a  result,  attracts 
the  largest  volume  of  national  advertising.  The  rich 
apparently  do  not  respond  to  the  advertising  appeal 
as  spontaneously  as  those  to  whom  a  dollar  means 


86  NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

one  hundred  cents  and  a  thing  that  comes  in  return  for 
hard  labor. 

In  planning  the  start  of  our  new  venture  I  should 
count  on  nothing  but  loss,  loss,  loss,  for  a  year  or  two, 
figuring  carefully  and  adding  fifty  per  cent,  more  on 
many,  many  items.  Perhaps  my  figures  would  ul- 
timately dissuade  me  from  the  venture,  but  in  the 
absence  of  backing  to  put  it  on  its  feet  by  the  sane 
method,  I  should  be  better  off  in  the  end  if  I  let  it 
alone.  No  matter  how  enthusiastically  merchants 
and  business  men  pledge  their  support  and  people  by 
thousands  pledge  their  subscriptions  because  the  new 
newspaper  is  to  serve  some  class  or  party  they  are 
interested  in,  discount  all  assurances  about  90  per 
cent,  for  cash. 

It  is  much  more  satisfactory  to  figure  on  the  wrong 
side  regarding  your  requirements  if  the  wrong  side 
means  the  securing  of  more  capital  than  you  may 
require. 

In  later  chapters  we  shall  consider  the  costs  in 
detail  and  as  part  of  a  complete  plan  calculated  to 
produce  successful  results. 


X 

^^Make  Your  Own  Newspaper  ^^ 

So  many  sound  business  men  are  prone  to  lay  great 
stress  on  the  superior  value  of  an  established  business, 
no  matter  what  its  record  or  reputation  may  have 
been,  compared  with  a  new  enterprise,  that  I  have  been 
led  to  touch  upon  this  idea  in  relation  to  the  news- 
paper business.  It  is  probably  much  easier  to 
rehabilitate  a  moribund  property  than  to  start  a  new 
one.     Nearly  all  experience  points  that  way. 

It  is  obvious  that  a  moribund  property  which  is 
losing  money  faster  than  a  bank  can  make  it  can  be 
secured  for  much  less  real  money  than  is  needed  to 
buy  a  small  part  of  a  new  plant  to  turn  it  out.  I 
know  of  many  such  properties  which  could  be  had 
without  putting  up  a  dollar  in  cash  to  the  man  who 
could,  by  his  record,  prove  that  he  was  likely  to  put 
the  property  on  a  dividend  basis.  The  old  owners  in 
most  cases  would  take  bonds  at  reasonable  interest  for 
their  equities.  They  would  hail  with  delight  the 
opportunity  to  escape  the  load  of  carrying  such  an 
all-consuming  destroyer  of  dollars. 

By  all  means  get  control  of  an  almost  expiring  news- 
paper rather  than  bum  up  fresh  dollars,  a  great  part 
of  which  must  be  written  off  in  depreciation  account 
as  soon  as  the  equipment  is  accepted. 

Old  equipment,  bought  at  junk  prices  (for  that  is  all 


88  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

it  is  worth  in  most  cases)  will  not  eat  its  head  off  in 
carrying  charges  during  the  long  up-hill  fight  for 
reconstruction.  When  you  get  well  started  and 
things  begin  to  come  your  way  it  will  be  mighty  easy 
to  substitute  new  equipment  for  old  on  practically  your 
own  terms.  By  this  I  do  not  mean  in  case  the  old 
plant  is  not  equipped  to  turn  out  all  you  require,  if 
your  dream  comes  true,  that  you  should  hesitate  to  buy 
additional  equipment.  By  all  means  do  this.  Just 
because  you  have  become  heir  to  a  real  bargain,  don't 
handicap  yourself  by  trying  to  do  the  impossible.  A 
successful  newspaper  plant  is  always  over-equipped. 
Unless  you  have  equipment  to  care  for  bulges  in 
business,  you  lose  the  handsome  profits  which  come 
in  those  times  to  offset  the  slumps  in  business  which 
in  some  way  or  other  strike  us  from  time  to  time.  An 
under-equipped  newspaper,  running  up  to  full  capacity 
at  all  times,  is  in  a  dangerous  condition.  The  slightest 
break  to  machinery  will  involve  losses  representing 
the  interest  on  many  times  the  amount  of  money 
required  to  have  kept  something  in  reserve.  Ma- 
chinery, like  a  human  being,  needs  a  rest  once  in  a 
while  and  cannot  forever  be  kept  going  under  forced 
draught.  An  idle  press  means  just  so  much  insurance 
against  an  emergency.  If  our  newspapers  would  all 
try  to  keep  one  press  ahead  of  requirements,  instead 
of  one  behind,  their  net  production  costs  would  be 
lower.  This  can  be  easily  demonstrated.  By  rotat- 
ing from  one  press  to  another  from  day  to  day  the 
reserve  press  can  always  be  kept  tuned  up,  and  in  case 
of  a  break  anywhere  there  is  no  loss  in  production  or 
the  good- will  value  of  circulation. 

In  order  to  put  an  old  newspaper  on  a  new  and  suc- 
cessful basis  it  is  important  to  do  new  things  better 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  89 

and  bigger  than  they  have  ever  been  done  in  your 
town,  just  the  same  as  you  would  have  done  if  you 
had  decided  to  start  a  new  newspaper. 

Don't  lose  sight  of  that  fact. 

Men  are  too  apt  to  feel  that  the  new  newspaper  can 
be  gradually  built  up  around  the  old  stem,  and  to  fall 
into  the  rut  of  satisfaction  with  half -measures.  Bat- 
tles are  seldom  won  in  that  fashion. 

Given  an  old  property  to  put  on  its  feet,  I  would 
make  a  very  careful  study  of  the  field  and  map  out 
the  sort  of  a  newspaper  I  thought  the  people  of 
the  community  would  buy,  appreciate,  and  support. 
Having  that  firmly  in  mind,  I  would  go  to  it  regardless 
of  competition,  just  changing  my  course  from  time  to 
time  to  take  advantage  of  changing  currents  and 
favorable  breezes. 

In  order  to  put  over  any  such  plan  it  would  be 
essential  to  take  at  least  one  month,  and  preferably 
three  months,  to  get  things  ready  for  the  eventful  day. 
I  don't  believe  in  belittling  the  psychological  effects 
that  can  be  created  about  such  an  important  local 
event  as  the  making  over  of  one  of  its  newspapers.  I 
have  seen  a  two-cent  paper  with  12,000  circulation 
transformed  into  a  one-cent  newspaper  with  100,000 
circulation  from  Saturday  night  over  Sunday  on 
Monday  evening.  I  have  seen  several  newspapers 
drop  down  from  three  cents  to  one  cent  per  copy  with- 
out any  appreciable  increase  in  sale.  I  have  seen  a 
new  newspaper  with  200,000  circulation  made  in  a 
week,  while  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  newspapers 
struggling  hopelessly  for  a  firm  foothold  on  which  to 
advance  to  a  self-supporting  basis.  Analysis  of  the 
successful  efforts  shows  carefully  worked-out  plans 
effectively  put  into  operation,  while  the  failures  repre- 


90          NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

sent  weak,  half-hearted,  half-baked  inefficiencies  that 
were  foreordained  to  failure.  We  shall  take  up  the 
consideration  of  the  developments  above  referred  to 
when  we  come  to  the  consideration  of  circulation 
methods  and  promotion  in  a  later  chapter. 

At  this  point  I  cannot  refrain  from  passing  along 
a  quotation  from  the  advice  of  Colonel  Nelson,  which 
was  the  basic  note  in  the  plan  we  followed  in  putting 
The  Globe  on  the  newspaper  map: 

"My  boy,  don't  let  the  other  fellow  make  your 
newspaper.  Make  your  own  newspaper,  and  as  long 
as  it  is  marching  forward  don't  waste  any  time  watch- 
ing what  the  other  fellows  are  doing." 

The  truth  and  wisdom  of  this  nugget  are  obvious  to 
any  one  who  watches  the  futile  efforts  of  the  tail-end 
newspapers  in  a  large  city  trying  to  imitate  or  dupli- 
cate the  activities  of  other  newspapers. 

No  imitator  ever  puts  it  over  either  in  newspaper 
making  or  other  phases  of  commercial  activity.  The 
world  applauds  the  pioneer  and  creator.  Success  is 
easier  and  more  logical  if  you  set  the  pace  and  let  the 
others  follow  in  case  they  so  desire. 


XI 

What  Does  It  Cost? 

In  starting  a  new  newspaper  we  must  not  only- 
know  how  much  our  plant  and  equipment  are  going  to 
cost  us,  but  approximately  what  our  operating  ex- 
penses are  going  to  be  per  week  or  per  month,  or  we 
shall  be  riding  for  a  fall.  In  revitalizing  an  old 
property,  we  must  ascertain  present  and  past  costs, 
decide  what  parts  of  the  sore  must  give  way  to  the 
surgeon's  knife,  what  part  must  be  replaced  with  new 
equipment,  either  mechanical  or  human,  and  how 
much  new  expense  must  be  added  to  make  the  news- 
paper one  that  can  win. 

Let  us  briefly  consider  a  simple  cost  system  which 
can  be  easily  applied  to  any  newspaper  property, 
whether  in  the  making  or  one  in  operation,  if  we  only 
have  the  proper  degree  of  honesty  to  figure  things  as 
they  are,  or  a  bit  worse  than  they  probably  will  be. 

Let  us  assume,  for  the  purpose  of  argument,  that 
the  newspaper  property  we  are  going  to  try  to  put  on 
a  profitable  basis  has  a  net  paid  daily  circulation  of 
20,000,  carries  a  total  of  3,000,000  agate  lines  of 
advertising  during  the  year,  for  which  it  earns  two 
cents  per  line  net,  and  is  operated  at  a  total  yearly 
expense  of  $100,000,  according  to  the  office  records. 

The  old  owner,  by  figuring  the  proposition  from  the 
wrong  angle,  sees  the  situation  tMs  way: 


92  NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

Total  Expense $100,000 

Earnings — 

3,000,000  lines  at  2  cents $60,000 

Sale  of  Papers 28,000      88,000 

$12,000  Loss 

He  has  been  going  from  bad  to  worse  for  years  and 
sees  no  way  out  of  it.  He  has  tried  to  raise  his 
advertising  rates  repeatedly  without  success,  has 
borrowed  all  the  money  he  could  from  the  bank,  from 
friends,  and  from  those  who  were  willing  to  chip  in 
for  the  use  the  paper  might  be  to  them.  He  is 
absolutely  hopeless  or  he  would  not  have  offered  to 
turn  the  paper  over  to  you  if  you  would  undertake  to 
work  it  out  and  give  him  interest-bearing  bonds  for 
the  equity  represented  by  the  value  of  the  property 
you  have  accepted,  less  its  liabilities.  His  utter 
hopelessness  provides  the  very  sort  of  an  opporttmity 
that  a  real  newspaper  man  seeks. 

The  first  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  build  up  an 
imaginary  set  of  figures  to  cover  real  costs,  approxi- 
mately as  follows : 

Total  operating  expenses,  as  shown  by  old-fogy 

methods $100,000 

Add  salary  for  yourself 10,000 

Add  for  depreciation  and  renewal  of  plant 10,000 

Add  trade  paper  advertising  and  promotional 

work    10,000 

Add  manufacturer's  profit  of  10%  on  above 10,000 

$140,000  ' 

and  add  interest  on  bonds  here,  if  not  already  included. 
Now  you  have  a  fair  and  square  start  to  doing  real 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  93 

business,  with  probably  much  opportunity  for  effecting 
minor  economies  which  will  spell  additional  profit. 
Taking  $140,000  as  your  new  total  cost,  let  us  see 
what  it  will  actually  cost  you  to  manufacture  your 
advertising  space  in  the  simplest  possible  way : 

Total  cost $140,000 

I      Less  circulation  revenue 28,000 

$112,000 

Divided  by  3,000,000  lines  we  get  the  rate  3.7  cents 
per  line.  Our  old  owner,  in  selling  his  space  for  two 
cents  a  line,  was  simply  giving  it  away.  Unless  you 
by  some  process  can  bring  the  average  rate  above 
3.7  cents  per  line,  you  must  be  prepared  to  invest 
capital  sufficient  to  meet  the  deficit,  or  you  will  be 
digging  a  pit  from  which  you  will  eventually  emerge 
in  much  the  same  shape  as  the  old  owner. 

An  advance  in  rates  from  two  cents  to  four  cents, 
equal  to  100  per  cent.,  would  probably  result  in 
utter  destruction  of  the  property.  Unless  you  are 
prepared  to  dump  in  the  capital  necessary  to  reach  the 
turning  point,  you  had  best  not  embark  upon  the 
enterprise  at  all,  but  may  proceed  on  the  longer  and 
more  precarious  route  of  economizing  until  you  can 
justify  higher  rates.  With  the  figures  clearly  before 
you,  you  are  in  a  position  to  operate  intelligently  with 
full  knowledge  that  when  you  produce  a  definite 
result  you  will  be  on  an  entirely  solvent  basis,  which 
is  much  more  than  the  old  owner  could  calculate  or 
see.  The  first  thing  you  probably  would  do,  if 
determined  to  reduce  losses,  would  be  to  scale  your 
expenses  and  over-head  something  like  this : 
'   7, 


94  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

Total  operating  expenses $80,000 

Your  own  salary 2,500 

Depreciation  and  renewals 10,000 

Promotional  work 10,000 

$102,500 
Then  put  the  equation  this  way: 

Total  expenses $102,500 

Less  circulation  earnings 28,000 


$74,500 


Divided  by  3,000,000  lines  of  advertising  we  get 
the  rate  2.48  cents  per  line.  With  this  starting  point 
in  mind  you  could  bring  your  rates  up  to  2  >^  cents  per 
line  for  a  year  and  then,  as  your  circulation  advanced, 
gradually  boost  it  to  2^  or  3  cents,  and  so  on  up  to 
a  point  where  you  could  get  out  the  sort  of  a  paper 
you  desired  in  accordance  with  the  first  formula. 

My  own  experience  has  been  that  if  you  can  go  to 
the  merchants  of  your  town  with  definite  figures  of 
this  kind  and  prove  to  them  they  must  pay  more  to 
get  the  sort  of  circulation  they  desire,  they  will  do  so. 
They  will  not  give  the  additional  money  to  you  with- 
out protest,  but  will  pay  you  if  they  see  that  you  are 
firm  and  mean  to  have  it.  Your  position  is  much  the 
same  as  that  of  a  person  going  to  a  bank  for  credit. 
You  will  be  showing  them  that  in  the  long  run  they 
must  pay  a  reasonable  profit  for  the  chief  necessity 
of  their  own  business  prosperity  if  it  is  to  endure. 

When  you  have  reached  this  stage  of  knowing 
exactly  where  you  are,  you  will  have  arrived  at  a 
point  whete  you  can  intelligently  decide  how  much 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING  95 

additional  money  you  deem  it  best  to  invest  in  addi- 
tional plant  or  new  promotional  work. 

Reckon  the  additional  investment  as  the  hiring  of 
just  so  much  new  capital  at  five,  six  or  seven  per  cent, 
and  add  it  in  your  costs,  with  due  consideration  to 
depreciation  of  equipment  and  machinery,  and  to 
promotional  work  spread  over  a  period  of  one,  two, 
or  five  years,  if  you  think  best.  In  the  following 
chapters  we  shall  consider  a  very  simple  method  for 
segregating  expense  and  keeping  track  of  it.  The 
figures  presented  in  the  foregoing  are  purely  imaginary 
and  do  not  even  bear  the  semblance  of  relation  to  any 
real  situation  I  have  ever  met  in  my  investigations. 
They,  however,  illustrate  the  point  I  want  to  bring 
home.  The  formula  and  its  use  prove  beyond  any 
reasonable  contention  the  absolute  desirability  of 
simple  cost-finding  as  a  first  stage  to  the  undertaking 
of  any  new  or  constructive  work.  We  shall  later 
consider  the  basis  of  advertising  rates  in  relation  to 
different  classifications.  The  figures  given  above  are 
meant  to  represent  the  average  net  receipts  from  all 
advertising  charged  and  paid. 

Recently  two  authoritative  statements  confirm  the 
rough  cost-finding  system  given  above  which  I  have 
used  for  years.  The  desirability  of  knowing  costs  as 
a  basis  for  establishing  advertising  rates  that  will 
meet  expenses,  produce  a  fair  return  on  capital 
invested,  and  justify  effort  put  into  the  business,  is 
not  so  fully  appreciated  as  it  should  be. 

In  many  large  newspaper  gatherings  I  have  asked: 
**How  many  present  know  what  it  costs  them  to 
manufacture  a  line  or  an  inch  of  advertising?"  and 
have  not  got  a  single  rise.  Long  and  diligent  investiga- 
tion of  newspaper  conditions  in  many  cities  con- 


\ 


96  NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

clusively  proves  that  our  advertising  rates  are 
established  largely  by  competitive  conditions  and 
represent  what  we  think  we  can  get  rather  than  what 
we  should  insist  on  as  a  necessity  of  continuing  sol- 
vent. 

In  a  recent  circular  issued  by  the  Federal  Trade 
Commission  at  Washington,  headed  ** Helpful  Ac- 
tivities to  Strengthen  American  Business,"  it  was 
stated : 

Among  the  several  methods  by  which  the  Federal  Trade  Com- 
mission can  be  of  constructive  help  to  American  business  there 
are  two  of  particular  importance.  One  of  these  is  to  aid  the 
business  men  of  the  country  in  obtaining  the  additional  credits 
to  which  their  business  operations  may  entitle  them.  The  second 
is  to  aid  in  improving  accounting  practice  and  in  establishing  better 
standards  of  bookkeeping  and  cost  accounting.  The  two  are  inter- 
dependent. 

The  small  manufacturer,  the  country  storekeeper  (and,  they 
might  have  added,  the  country  newspaper  publisher)  and  the 
retail  merchant  often  do  not  get  at  the  banks  the  credit  that  they 
ought  to  receive  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  are  unable  to  present 
balance  sheets  in  accordance  with  good  business  practice.  These 
men,  as  a  rule,  are  just  as  good  business  men  in  many  respects  as 
those  of  larger  operations.  They  have  brains,  ability,  knowledge 
of  their  wares  and  of  their  customers,  but  they  do  not  speak  the 
language  of  the  banker  in  that  they  are  not  able  to  present  a 
statement  showing  their  true  assets  and  liabilities. 


These  extracts  do  not  do  the  circular  justice,  but 
bring  out  the  points  I  want  to  make  of  showing  the 
necessity  of  knowing  costs  for  the  successful  conduct 
of  a  business  and  placing  oneself  in  a  position  where 
he  can  meet  unusual  contingencies. 

In  System  for  April,  1916,  Walter  B.  Palmer,  special 
agent  in  the  cost-production  division  of  the  Bureau  of 
Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce,  had  this  to  say: 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING  97 

There  are  three  systems  of  costing,  all  of  them  simple,  which  are 
more  or  less  used.  They  may  be  designated  the  quantity  method, 
the  direct  labor  method,  and  the  prime-cost  method. 

By  the  quantity  method  the  total  general  expense  during  the 
preceding  business  period — ^that  is,  all  expense  except  direct  labor — 
is  divided  by  the  nimiber  of  units  produced,  and  the  quotient  is 
added  to  the  cost  of  materials  and  direct  labor  for  each  unit. 


Here  again  I  have  presented  only  the  pith  of  a 
really  notable  article,  but  the  idea  will  demonstrate 
the  soundness  of  the  theory  I  wish  to  present  for  the 
consideration  and  use  of  newspaper  publishers  desirous 
of  investigating  the  reasonableness  or  unreasonable- 
ness of  their  advertising  rates. 

"What  does  it  cost  us  to  produce  a  line  of 
advertising?" 

As  indicated  above,  I  figure  that  the  cost  of  a  line 
of  advertising  is  gross  operating  expense  for  a  full 
year  or  the  average  for  a  month  or  a  quarter  (including 
fair  depreciation),  less  circulation  receipts,  divided  by 
the  number  of  lines  of  paid  advertising  printed.  This 
is  as  simple  a  process  of  reaching  cost  as  it  is 
effective. 

When  you  have  reduced  your  business  to  some  such 
standard  of  accounting,  heavy  prospective  items  of 
expense,  seemingly  impossible  to  meet  under  old 
conditions,  can  be  reduced  to  simple  little  adjustments 
of  only  passing  interest.  Suppose,  for  instance,  in 
the  case  of  the  newspaper  example  we  have  considered, 
it  was  called  upon  to  meet  an  increased  paper  cost  of 
say  $20,000  for  a  year.  The  first  thing  to  do  would 
be  to  cut  down  space  in  the  paper  say  about  ten  per 
cent.,  and  then  reduce  all  operating  expenses  say  five 
or  ten  per  cent.  Let  us  assume  that  these  two 
economies  would  amount  to  $10,000. 


98         NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

This  would  leave  us  to  pass  on  to  our  advertisers 
temporarily  $ii,ooo  of  the  added  cost,  including  one 
thousand  dollars  for  the  ten  per  cent,  of  manufac- 
turers' profit  added  to  the  net  increase  in  cost  of  oper- 
ations. Dividing  this  increased  cost,  $ii,ooo,  by  the 
3,000,000  lines  of  advertising  we  print,  we  get  .36  cent; 
so  we  must  seek  to  increase  our  average  net  advertis- 
ing rate  by  one-half  a  cent  a  line,  which  should  not 
be  a  very  serious  matter  when  the  fairness  of  the 
adjustment  could  be  so  intelligibly  explained  to  the 
buyer. 

By  this  process  an  added  item  of  $3,000  means  one- 
tenth  of  a  cent  increase  in  your  advertising  rate. 
When  you  can  see  things  in  this  way  it  will  be  mighty 
easy  to  do  business. 

Mr.  Palmer  says  later  on  in  his  article:  *'This 
method  of  costing  is  the  simplest  of  all  methods,  and 
where  only  one  kind  of  goods  is  manufactured  it  is 
the  most  accurate  of  all  systems." 

This  applies  to  straightway  newspaper  enterprises. 
Where  job  printing  enters  into  the  proposition  we 
have  another  element  that  may  or  may  not  disturb 
the  accuracy  of  our  calculations,  but  I  think  even  this 
can  be  regulated  in  a  way  that  will  lend  itself  to  fair 
and  reasonable  adjustment.  For  instance,  in  the  case 
of  a  country  weekly  doing  a  gross  business  of,  say, 
$30,000  a  year,  of  which  $20,000  is  for  job  printing 
and  $10,000  for  the  newspaper:  If  two- thirds  of  all 
over-head,  rent,  depreciation,  etc.,  is  charged  to  the 
job  printing  end  of  the  business  and  the  newspaper 
charged  only  with  the  remaining  third,  I  think  it  will 
be  found  that  a  fairly  accurate  determination  of  cost 
per  inch  can  be  reached. 

By  the  same  process  our  country  publisher  may 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING  99 

rind  that  he  has  been  doing  his  job  printing  at  too 
low  a  figure.  When  he  reaches  his  total  costs  for 
operating  the  job  plant  on  its  own  feet  and  then  checks 
them  up  against  his  net  earnings  for  such  work  for  the 
year  he  may  find  that  he  must  jack  up  his  prices  ten 
to  twenty-five  per  cent,  in  order  to  live.  His  news- 
paper may  have  been  asked  to  carry  more  than  its 
share  of  the  burden.  At  this  point  I  want  to  interject 
a  thought  foreign  to  the  main  subject,  but  which  is 
worth  the  consideration  of  country  weekly  newspapers. 
Don't  let  your  job  printing  department  cripple  the 
newspaper.  In  other  words,  consider  the  idea  of 
charging  a  prohibitive  price  on  jobs  that  *'must"  be 
produced  at  times  when  your  maximum  energies 
should  be  devoted  to  the  production  of  the  newspaper. 
By  limiting  the  amount  of  job  work  on  days  when  you 
are  producing  the  newspaper  you  will  be  able  to  get 
out  a  better  newspaper. 

I  fully  realize  the  dread  of  newspaper  publishers  of 
expert  accountants  and  system  experts,  from  whom 
they  have  bought  more  moon-shine  parading  as  the 
real  goods  than  most  business  men,  only  to  find  that 
the  so-called  systems  cost  more  to  apply  and  to 
operate  than  any  possible  good  they  produced.  A 
real  effective  system  based  on  homespun  ideas  can 
be  established  and  kept  in  operation  for  your  well- 
being  without  an  added  dollar  of  expense. 

All  that  any  complicated  accounting  system  can 
give  you  is  further  detail  regarding  expenses,  receipts, 
or  costs.  All  that  small  business  needs  is  a  funda- 
mental system  which  will  be  faithfully  carried  on 
month  by  month  and  year  by  year.  His  figures 
should  show  the  publisher  how  much  business  he  did 
in  different  departments  on  one  side  and  what  it  costs 


loo        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

him  for  rent,  for  heat,  light  and  power,  for  labor,  for 
ink,  etc.,  on  the  other. 

We  shall  now  take  up  some  simple  business  office 
forms  which  can  be  easily  applied  to  any  newspaper 
business.  If  the  figures  are  accurately  produced  this 
will  enable  any  publisher  to  cope  intelligently  with 
almost  any  situation  that  may  arise. 

One  of  the  most  important  items  that  deceive  manu- 
facturers (and  we  must  include  newspaper  publishers 
in  this  class)  is  their  failure  properly  to  charge  off 
enough  for  "depreciation"  and  *' replacement"  every 
year.  All  sane  manufacturers  have  learned  or  are 
learning  that  their  "cost"  must  provide  for  deprecia- 
tion, or  the  wear  and  tear  and  consequent  replacement 
will  eat  up  most  of  their  profits  if  not  put  them  in  the 
poorhouse.  Most  of  our  newspapers  have  printed 
columns  of  space  on  this  subject,  and  yet  probably 
not  one  in  a  hundred  has  ever  seen  fit  courageously  to 
charge  up  a  full  liberal  allowance  for  this  item  on  his 
books. 

Various  accountants  and  business  concerns  charge 
up  amounts  from  five  to  twenty-five  per  cent,  on 
machinery  until  its  value  as  a  book  asset  is  reduced 
to  what  it  will  bring  as  junk.  If  our  newspapers 
would  only  write  off  ten  per  cent,  on  all  machinery  and 
equipment  every  year  they  would  shortly  experience 
the  peace  of  mind  and  comfort  of  doing  business  on 
business  principles,  plus  added  profit. 


XII 
Finances  and  Capitalization 

In  the  absence  of  any  definite  or  generally  accepted 
formula  for  the  appraisal  of  a  newspaper  property, 
we  have  the  theory  that  a  going  newspaper  is  worth 
what  its  earnings  show  as  return  on  a  fair  basis  of 
capitalization.  In  the  East,if  it  is  earning, say,$2o,ooo 
a  year  it  is  worth  $200,000,  based  on  a  ten-per-cent. 
return,  while  in  the  West,  if  it  is  making  $15,000  it  is 
worth  $100,000,  or  on  a  fifteen-per-cent.  basis. 

This  is  all  very  well  in  its  way,  but  all  newspapers 
are  not  making  profits,  and  there  should  be  some 
general  way  of  deciding  on  a  fair  valuation  in  the 
absence  of  profits,  for  many  present  unprofitable 
properties  offer  most  satisfactory  business  openings 
to  the  man  with  a  big  enough  purpose  to  work  out 
success.  I  believe  that  where  a  property  is  making  a 
profit  it  is  worth  the  sum  it  is  yielding  a  reasonable 
percentage  on,  plus  a  fair  appraised  value  of  its  plant 
and  the  net  difference  between  accounts  receivable 
and  accounts  payable. 

In  the  case  of  an  unsuccessful  property  I  believe 
that  the  first  thing  to  ascertain  is  the  exact  average 
circulation  of  the  paper  for  a  period  of  years,  deducting 
any  element  of  temporary  inflation  by  schemes,  special- 
inducement  offers,  unpaid  subscribers  carried  along 
free,  etc. 


ibi     ;K;EW  building 

'WifH  such' 3ata  ill  hand  there  must  be  consideration 
as  to  whether  it  is  one-  or  two-cent  circulation.  I 
should  say  that  the  good-will  of  a  small  city  one-cent 
paper  in  the  red-ink  stage  of  development  was  worth 
$50,000,  plus  the  junk  value  of  its  plant,  and  less  any 
difference  to  the  bad  between  accounts  receivable  and 
payable. 

If  the  paper  was  on  a  two-cent  basis,  I  should 
arbitrarily  rate  it  as  worth  fifty  per  cent,  more  per 
thousand  circulation  or  $75,000,  plus  plant  and  less 
difference  to  the  bad  between  accounts  receivable  and 
payable. 

I  should  give  further  careful  consideration  as  to 
whether  the  newspaper  I  was  buying  was  a  morning 
or  evening  paper  and  whether  it  had  a  Sunday  issue. 
Success  or  failure  may  often  largely  depend  upon  this 
important  detail. 

In  the  smaller  towns  it  does  not  make  so  much 
difference  whether  a  newspaper  is  morning  or  evening, 
but  in  the  larger  towns  I  would  not  tackle  a  morning 
proposition  under  any  circumstances. 

The  really  successful  morning  newspapers  of  the 
larger  cities  of  the  United  States  are  few  compared 
with  the  large  number  of  evening  papers  which  have 
become  more  dominant  in  their  fields. 

As  a  business  proposition  the  six-day  morning 
newspaper  is  but  a  handicap  to  the  Sunday  issue, 
which  must  carry  the  load.  All  retail  advertising 
is  swinging  toward  the  evening  newspaper  which  is 
taken  to  the  home  for  family  reading. 

Here  is  definite  information  on  the  point  showing 
total  volume  of  advertising  done  by  New  York's  six- 
teen leading  retail  shops  in  the  daily  newspapers  dur- 
ing 191 5  and  191 6,  evening,  morning,  and  Sunday: 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        103 

LINES  OF  DRY  GOODS  ADVERTISING  IN  NEW  YORK  NEWSPAPERS 
During  Year  191 5 

Evening  Newspapers 

World  Journal  Globe  Mail  Sun  Telegram  Post  Total 

Altman 111,716  109,651  111,084  108,750  111,612  108,613  98,105  759,580 

Arn'd.Cons'le  85,621  225  148,172  148,327  148,936  ....  1,410  532,691 

Best 52,839  54.603  95.136  94.640  95.557  20,848  413.623 

Bloom 'dale ..  165,098  267,431  31.253  6,696  6,802  7,227  s.806  490,313 

Bonwit.Teller  55.319  58,634  40,967          50,682  1,134  3,391  210,127 

Gimbel 366,952  415.844  213,46s  114.432  245.593  123,523  34.330  1,514.139 

Greenhut....  484,379  475,770  238,426  219,426  233.736  217,649  8,065  1,877.451 

Hearn 176,638  176,720  156,772  I59.I37  17.500  159.646  19,205  865,618 

Lord  &  Tayrri74.736  175.630  78,400  57,398  145.606  19.297  651,067 

McCreery  ...114,922  173.233  19.493  129.361  144.495  S.821  1,050  588,37s 

Macy 343.956  144.023  328,25s  227,723  240,662  77.700  99.931  1,462,250 

Opp.,  Collins.  80,160  17.994  43,228  47.623  65,940  5.313  3.311  263,569 

Saks 111,629          113,093  113.319  34.948  240  373,229 

Frank. .Simon  79.582  63,101  87,048  86,137  89,600  648  2,878  408,994 

Stern 109,206  7t,47S  108,858  100,641  85,788  11,173  63.300  550,441 

Wanamaker  .105,436  268,073  410,528  454.644  463.640  451,103448,394  2,601,818 

Total.  .3,618.189  2.472,407  2.224.178  2.068.254  2.181.097  1.169.549  829.561  13.563.235 

LINES  OF  DRY  GOODS  ADVERTISING  IN  NEW  YORK  NEWSPAPERS 

During  Year  191S 

Morning  Newspapers — Six  Days.  Excluding  Sundays 

World  American  Herald     Times  Sun     Tribune    Press       Total 

Altman 30.940    36,665    36,869    66,176  32,208    32,260       280  235,398 

Arnold.  Constable...     2,240        ....       6,194    74.773        83,207 

Best 22,922        22,922 

Bloomingdale 9,006      7.946       S.820     19.247  6,123      6.879    6,322  61,343 

Bonwit,  Teller 2,184        225      9,682        12,091 

Gimbel 59.158     47.250     20,505  I4I.97S        ....       6,ioi       274,989 

Greenhut li,i97     11,561       8,340  109,203  300        ....      1,420  142,021 

Hearn 7,806     15,336       6,936          626  840          614        140  32,298 

Lord  &  Taylor 32,486       5.063        31.256      2,399     I7.I57      88,361 

McCreery 8,055       1.567     16,610     23,511  1,840         460      ....  52,043 

Macy 225  225       3.021     95.650     79,067        178,188 

Oppenheim,  Collins..     7,681      6.157       2,119      6,768        22,725 

Saks 67,820        67,889  67,747    66,356  44,282  314,094 

Franklin.  Simon 4,128          818       4.478     39.091  4.076     25,214     9.545  87,350 

Stern 24,051     13.712     22,458     23,758     11,523       4,706      100,208 

Wanamaker 49.335     17.861  180,809      1,785  45.791     44.339     i.4So  341.370 

Total 316,312  164.161  314.384  734.312  251,914  204.086  63,439  2.048,608 

LINES  OF  DRY  GOODS  ADVERTISING  IN   NEW  YORK  NEWSPAPERS 

During  Year  1915 

Sunday  Newspapers 

World   Ameri'n  Herald  Times  Sun    Tribune     Press  Total 

Altman 69,539    70,740    70,932  7S,i59  66,626    65.116    46,346  464,458 

Arnold,  Constable..      25,507    16,304    34.934  40,S77      2,780       2,320  122,422 

Best 5.280      4.589      5.345  28,505        5.345  49.064 

Bloomingdale 122.469126,816      1,177  7.230  754         304      1,684  260,434 

Bonwit.Teller 40,463      7.648    43,861  53, 780  300    47.232       ....  193,284 

Gimbel 132,200155,640    91.679  118,109        20.665        518,293 

Greenhut 114,363115,322    79.423  81,288    21,248       61.607  473.251 

Hearn 67,940    67,940    67,834  20,341  48,651    37.04S       ....  309,751 

Lord  &  Taylor 109,762107,579100,441  114,666  34.212        ....          120  466,780 

McCreery 88,883    34.717100,474  H5.S3o      3.104       342,708 

Macy 101,803110,446113,673  96,929  99.669       ....    67.660  590,180 

Oppenheim,  Collins.      43.396    36,128    35.499  48.4S2        I3.809       ....  177.284 

Saks 80,207        80,826  81,313        242,346 

Franklin.  Simon  . . .      45.198         330    64,032  90,275  38,708    37.000       ....  275.543 

Stern 63.858    56,564    64,478  65,904  S4.8iS    50.225       ....  355.844 

Wanamaker .... 

Total 1.110.868  910.763  954.608  1,038,058  370.867  271.396  185.082  4,841,642 


104        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

LINES  OF  DRY  GOODS  ADVERTISING  IN  NEW  YORK   NEWSPAPERS 

During  Year  1916 

Evening  Newspapers 

World  Journal  Globe  Mail  Sun      Teleg'm   Post            Total 

Altman 101,670  103,263  100,986  100,778  100,87s    98,869100,986      707,427 

Arn'd.Cona'le          3So      123,48s  124,360     120,869       369,064 

Best 98,206  99.512  94.892       96,48s        31.102       420,197 

Bloomingdale    178,965  236,870  26,847  6,161  6,234      9,589      6,172       470,838 

Bonwit,  Teller      So,37S  49.001  32,565       44.859        8,421        185,221 

Gimbel 198,303  15S.369  374.841  360,735  393.907      2,072      3,385  1,488,612 

Greenhut  ...    408,702  410,966  86,498  8S,997  71.029    88,737     10,632  I,i62,s6i 

Heam 170,909  170,948  153,334  157,875       159.778       2,14s        814,989 

Lord&Taylor    182,425  139,07s  110,798  55. 890  157.123    26,684      1,015       673,010 

McCrecry...      64,776  175,838  117,440  80,186  208,078122,985         802       770,105 

Macy 328,579  30,756  440,679  368,532     336,848        94,208  i,S99.6o2 

Opp.,;Collm8.      72,329  72,331  37.019  36.742  29,616         300      8,831       257,168 

Saks 143.732       108,334  135,632       387.698 

Frank., Simon    104.249  85,084  85,781  99.138  102,495       ....     16,474       493,221 

Stern n6,343  H5.879  98.579  loi,33S  85.167     10,223    62,805        590,331 

Wanamaker  .    146,185  233,227  435.804  431,285  474.141  465,468  450,456  2,636,566 

Total. .  .3,267,892  2,076,813  3,433,S02  2,239,538  2,227,726  984,705  797,434  13,026,610 

LINES  OF  DRY  GOODS  ADVERTISING  IN   NEW  YORK  NEWSPAPERS 

During  Year  1916 
Morning  Newspapers — Six  Days.   Excluding  Sundays 

World  American    Herald  Times  Sun  Tribune  Total 

Altman 30,605  46,835       27,141  46,255  26,195  20,002  197.033 

Arnold.  Constable 4,604         2,129  26,097  ....           32,830 

Best ....           22,186  ....  ....  22,186 

Bloomingdale  ....        6,606  6,837          5,977  1,012  6.277  6,231  32,940 

Bonwit.  Teller ....             290  12,612  ....  360  13.262 

Gimbel 9,239  7.ooS           ....  80,811  ....  8,211  105,276 

Greenhut 18,844  19.139         5,598  23,341  ....  ....  66,922 

Hearn 6,670  17,684             800  ....  ....  1,099  26,253 

Lord&Taylor....      36,486  87S             675  37, 166  1,640  30,962  107,804 

McCreery 12,117  S.SS7         3,i4i  19.23S  5,265  11,127  56,442 

Macy 640           9,727  62,619  32,837           105,823 

Oppenheim,  Collins.       8,197  6,147         4.278  8,283           2,819  29.724 

Saks 81,674           81.749  81,069  81,417  325.909 

Franklin,  Simon.. .        3,798  1,200         7,990  58,590  35.212  41,077  147,867 

Stern 15,881  16,258        14,073  16,424  3,411  4.156  70,203 

Wanamaker 23,796  2,240     344.300  ....  40.444  38.315  349,095 

Total 254.553      134,381      326,119     496,380      232,350      345,786  1,689,569 


LINES  OF  DRY  GOODS  ADVERTISING  IN   NEW  YORK  NEWSPAPERS 


World 

Altman 76,411 

Arnold.  Constable.  1.400 

Best 

Bloomingdale 117,656 

Bonwit.  Teller. . . .  32,178 

Gimbel 99,780 

Greenhut 98.699 

Heam 70.656 

Lord&Taylor....  131,985 

McCreery 41,476 

Macy 106.770 

Oppenheim.  Collins  48.808 

Saks 80,843 

Franklin.  Simon...  42.277 

Stem 74.185 

Wanamaker > . . . . 

Total 1,033,124 


During  Year  1916 

Sunday  Newspapers 

American    Herald 

76,867 

14.786 


76.051 
54.058 


125,888 

108.835 
95.732 
70,549 
39,120 
138,277 
114.450 

Si.ni 

I4.4si 
74.208 


12.204 

57.673 

23,709 

72,524 

69,299 

121,784 

107,579 

115,172 

35,142 

32.416 

^ 3.693 
9.591 


Times 

Sun 

Tribum 

77.876 

76,568 

54.819 

58,119 

1,320 

54,852 

32,958 

.... 

1,592 

2.463 

3.381 

80.585 

560 

63,922 

108.767 

6,19s 

72.929 

70,777 

17.101 

lf:Jii 

140.160 

44.033 

196.190 

2.790 

86.335 

113.856 

88.684 

.... 

57.865 

.... 

32.850 

83,843 

.... 

71,999 

1x3,641 
76,735 

40,090 

78.066 

53.343 

51,636 

Total 
438,592 
139,683 

77.810 
363.084 
233.918 
420,31s 
3S4.833 
366,550 
514.944 
572,537 
538.932 

359,101 
363.318 
399,688 


954,396      873,439  1.234.858      356.10s      617.62s  5.058,547 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 


105 


Firms  Covered 

Altman 

Arnold,  Constable 

Best 

Bloomingdale 

Bonwit,  Teller 

Gimbel 

Greenhut 

Heam 

Lord  &  Taylor 

McCreety 

Macy 

Oppenheim,  Collins 

Saks 

Franklin,  Simon 
Wanamaker 

Stem 

Evening  Newspapers  {6  days  a  week) 

igi6  igi5 

World . 2,267,892  2,618,189 

Journal 2,076,813  2,472,407 

Globe 2,432,502  2,224,178 

Mail 2,239,538  2,068,254 

Sun 2,227,726  2,181,097 

Telegram 948,705  1,169,549 

Post 797,434       829,561 

Morning  Newspapers  {6  days,  excluding  Sundays) 

igi6  igi5 

World 254,553       316,312 

American 134,381       164,161 

Herald 326,119       314,384 

Times 496,380       734,3i2 

Sun 232,350       251,914 

Tribune 245,786       204,086 

Sunday  Newspapers 

igi6  igis 

World 1,023,124  1,110,868 

American 954,396       910,763 

Herald 872,439       954,608 

Times 1,234,858  1,038,058 

Sun 356,105       370,867 

Tribime 617,625      271,396 


io6        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

Chicago,  Philadelphia,  Detroit,  Pittsburgh,  St. 
Louis,  New  Orleans,  Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  and  other 
places  show  the  same  condition.  The  whole  trend 
of  business  except  in  things  directly  for  men's  wear 
is  toward  the  evening  newspaper.  One  paper  in  the 
home,  in  the  opinion  of  the  modem  advertiser,  is  worth 
many  in  the  office  scrap  basket.  I  have  been  on  both 
sides  of  the  situation,  have  sold  space  both  ways, 
morning  and  evening,  and  know  from  experience  on 
the  space-selling  end  that  many  local  retail  advertisers 
where  they  still  use  morning  newspapers  do  so  for 
general  results  and  not  for  direct  sales. 

If  the  newspaper  I  was  thinking  of  buying  was  a 
morning  newspaper  I  would  cut  off  about  twenty-five 
per  cent,  from  the  above  valuations,  which  I  would 
apply  only  to  evening  newspapers.  I  should  study 
the  advertising  earnings  and  space  usage  to  see 
whether  the  paper  was  on  the  slide  or  standing  still. 

In  considering  the  valuation  of  the  plant  the  only 
safe  rule  to  apply  is  what  the  machinery  would  be 
worth  at  forced  sale  and  installed.  By  this  I  mean 
that  I  would  allow  more  than  junk  values,  but  only 
what  it  would  cost  second-hand  and  could  be  put  in 
operating  shape  for.  Much  of  the  equipment  may 
be  so  badly  worn  out  that  it  is  not  desirable  at  all. 

Much  care  should  be  exercised  regarding  the  check- 
ing up  of  accounts  receivable  and  statements  regarding 
accounts  payable  to  be  sure  that  you  are  not  being 
taken  in,  either  innocently  or  by  constructive  fraud. 
A  bond  or  guarantee  as  to  the  equity  represented 
should  be  secured  wherever  possible.  Don't  take 
anything  for  granted.  I  have  known  many  a  bright 
hope  to  be  effectually  deprived  of  all  prospects  of  ful- 
filment by  carelessness  regarding  such  details  at  the 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        107 

time  when  protection  could  have  been  secured.  After 
the  deal  is  closed,  the  papers  passed,  and  possession 
taken,  no  additional  safeguards  can  be  demanded. 
The  only  remedy  is  the  possibility  of  success  in  a 
suit  at  law  on  some  well-sustained  point  of  mis- 
representation. 

Regarding  the  consideration  of  a  possible  Associated 
Press  membership  in  connection  with  the  property 
you  are  about  to  buy,  don't  be  carried  away  by  any 
foolishly  high  figure.  Experience  regarding  wire-ser- 
vice values  I  think  would  indicate  that  this  item  is 
cared  for  in  the  good-will  valuation  represented  by 
circulation  as  above.  If  you  are  figuring  on  a  morning 
newspaper  an  Associated  Press  service  is  essential. 
There  is  no  substitute.  In  the  case  of  an  evening  and 
Sunday  newspaper  there  is  abundant  outside  news 
service  which  can  be  bought  in  the  open  market. 

To  sum  up,  I  should  value  established  and  carefully 
authenticated  circulation  at  $10,000  per  1,000,  as  a 
safe  and  sane  starting-point  for  any  calculation.  If  a 
two-cent  paper  start  with  $15,000  per  1,000.  Spot 
cash  is  always  worth  a  cash  discount.  If  you  have 
to  raise  money  with  which  to  make  a  purchase  you 
should  realize  that  you  are  paying  a  premium  to 
get  it.  If  in  turn  you  are  asked  for  spot  cash  part 
with  it  a  bit  more  grudgingly  than  you  would  in  case 
of  deferred  payments,  though  don't  be  careless  re- 
garding the  latter.  Nine  times  in  ten  the  man  who 
wants  to  sell  a  newspaper  is  up  against  a  condition 
where  a  few  thousand  dollars  in  cash  and  the  definite 
assurance  of  interest  and  deferred  payments  at  stated 
dates  means  the  difference  between  agony  and  peace 
of  mind.  Therefore,  be  reluctant  in  the  display  of 
cash  resources  or  prospective  payments  until  you 


io8        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

have  all  essential  facts  regarding  the  property  clearly 
in  mind,  and  then  offer  a  small  amount  in  cash  and 
the  balance  running  over  a  period  of  years  or  in  long- 
term  bonds.  When  you  succeed  in  getting  some  pro- 
posal along  the  line  of  deferred  payments  you  will  be 
in  better  shape  to  urge  a  still  better  price  for  cash  in 
case  it  is  deemed  preferable  to  clean  up  the  whole 
proposition  in  that  way. 

If  you  have  worked  out  your  investigations  and 
plans  accurately  and  can  show  a  definite  plan  clear 
through  to  success,  you  can  often  place  bonds  among 
friends  or  banks,  clean  out  the  old  owner,  and  be  on  a 
more  desirable  basis  than  if  you  permitted  him  to 
think  about  the  possibility  of  regaining  possession 
through  some  lapse  of  payments  by  you.  Nothing  is 
more  annoying  and  disastrous  to  the  prospects  of  a 
new  enterprise  than  to  have  an  old  owner  caUing  on 
your'customers,  quietly  advising  them  that  before  long 
he  will  regain  the  property  and,  by  implication  care- 
fully guarded,  hinting  that  by  withholding  business 
temporarily  they  can  help  their  old  friend.  Therefore, 
buy  him  out  so  he  will  know  he  is  out,  and  exact  from 
him  a  *' lawyer  drawn"  agreement  that  he  will  not  re- 
enter the  newspaper  business  in  the  town  or  for  loo 
miles  around  it  for  five  or  ten  years,  directly  or 
indirectly,  if  possible  guaranteed  by  bond.  I  could 
recite  numerous  cases  where  such  a  come-back  has 
exercised  a  serious  damage  to  the  new  owner  through 
the  cupidity  of  the  seller. 

An  effective  process  for  raising  money  to  buy  and 
promote  a  newspaper  is  the  issuing  of  five-,  ten-,  and 
twenty-year  bonds  secured  by  the  deposit  of  all  of 
the  stock  in  escrow  and  a  mortgage  on  plant  and 
good-will.    By  this  method  all  the  stock  is  continued 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        109 

in  the  control  for  voting  purposes  by  yourself  and 
associates,  and  is  pledged  to  guarantee  the  payments 
of  the  bonds.  This  is  a  fair  and  square  way  of  doing 
business. 

If  you  have  put  down  some  of  your  own  money  in 
the  purchase,  it  will  provide  an  additional  proof  of 
your  good  faith  and  purpose  to  make  the  enterprise 
a  success. 
8 


XIII 
Features  for  and  of  Your  Field 

Before  presenting  any  figures  regarding  our  new 
newspaper  enterprise,  another  short  chapter  is  neces- 
sary to  present  thoughts  with  relation  to  preliminary 
investigations  which  should  have  important  and  seri- 
ous consideration  in  advance  of  even  calculating  invest- 
ments, cost  and  such.  By  this  I  mean  study  of  the 
possibilities  for  making  a  success  of  the  newspaper  we 
are  going  to  start  or  revive  before  we  send  good  money 
after  bad,  or  perhaps  attempt  to  do  the  impossible. 

If  I  were  going  to  make  the  effort  I  should,  by 
diligent  inquiry,  ascertain  the  whereabouts  of  two  or 
three  eminently  successful  newspapers  of  the  size, 
potentiality,  and  other  characteristics  I  desired  to 
duplicate.  I  should  then  jump  on  a  train  and  make 
it  my  business  to  learn  all  I  could  about  them.  More 
often  than  not,  interested  inquiry  at  the  newspaper 
offices  would  be  productive  of  much  material  and  data 
that  would  prove  valuable  in  the  working  out  of  our 
exploitation.  In  the  selection  of  towns  to  visit,  pick 
places  of  as  near  as  possible  the  same  population  as 
your  own  city  and  newspapers  with  about  the  same 
circulation  as  you  hope  to  have  when  you  round  out 
your  own  picture. 

Now  carefully  study  the  great  newspaper  successes 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        iii 

of  our  larger  cities.  If  your  newspaper  is  to  be  a 
morning  newspaper,  subscribe  to  for  a  month  and 
devour  The  Chicago  Tribune,  The  New  York  Times, 
and  The  Boston  Post.  If  it  is  to  be  an  evening  news- 
paper, subscribe  to  for  a  month  and  study  The  Kansas 
City  Star,  Chicago  Daily  News,  New  York  Globe,  or 
others  of  the  class  you  seek  to  make.  Before  you 
turn  a  wheel,  so  to  speak,  and  in  the  light  of  your  study 
of  the  best  up-to-the-minute  newspaper  practices 
along  the  lines  I  have  indicated,  go  out  into  your  own 
town  investigating  its  people,  and  the  best  methods  of 
reaching  them  and  winning  their  confidence  by  honest 
and  sincere  public  service. 

The  first  thing  I  should  do  in  mapping  out  my  news- 
paper would  be  to  decide  on  the  very  best  features  I 
could  secure  for  my  territory  within  the  limits  of  my 
pocket-book.  Our  study  of  the  various  small-town 
newspapers  of  our  own  size,  plus  our  grasp  of  the 
things  being  done  by  the  big  newspapers  of  the  worth- 
while class  above  mentioned,  should  give  us  the  best 
sort  of  a  guide  as  to  what  to  take  on. 

Notwithstanding  all  antique  argument  to  the  con- 
trary, it  has  been  proven  that  a  newspaper  can  secure 
quidier  introduction  by  the  use  of  good  features  on 
the  basis  of  holding  the  circulation,  when  once  it  is 
secured,  than  by  any  other  method.  There  is  always 
an  abundance  of  good  feature  material  available  for 
any  town  outside  of  New  York  and  the  very  big  cities, 
which  eat  it  up  faster  than  it  can  be  produced.  By 
this  I  mean  the  sort  of  features  that  really  produce 
results.  My  study  would  be  to  find  matter  of 
strongest  possible  appeal  to  the  women  and  house- 
holds of  my  community.  If  our  newspaper  pleases 
the  women,   the  men  don't  count.    They  will  be 


112        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

satisfied  with  the  news  part  of  any  newspaper,  but 
finally  influenced  by  what  their  families  want. 

No  single  feature  that  I  know  of,  for  example, 
probably  equals  the  steady  pull  of  "The  Evening 
Story"  of  The  Chicago  Daily  News.  It  is  read  with 
interest  by  men,  women,  and  children.  It  is  so  simple 
and  obvious  in  its  humanity  that  any  one  who  reads 
it  understands  and  appreciates  it. 

Comics  are  a  bit  over-done.  I  believe  that  our 
newspapers,  in  their  quest  to  beat  the  other  fellow  for 
a  **show,"  print  lots  of  stuff  that  means  simply  waste 
of  white  paper.  Of  the  average  six  comics  printed, 
not  more  than  one  contains  a  real  laugh.  If  our 
editors  would  buy  six  comics  and  print  only  the  one 
with  a  laugh  in  it  every  day  they  would  save  paper 
consumption  and  readers'  time. 

As  food  for  thought  I  offer  likewise  for  considera- 
tion "Little  Stories  for  Bed-time"  by  Thornton  W. 
Burgess,  as  a  brilHant  specimen  of  the  sort  of  features 
that  I  should  select.  A  good  signed  article  daily, 
such  as  that  by  Dr.  Frank  Crane,  stands  as  an  almost 
unique  feature  as  a  strong  drawing-card  for  both  men 
and  women.  People  like  this  wholesome  human 
philosophy  and  if  you  get  something  really  good  of  the 
kind,  play  it  up  strong  in  the  same  spot  in  the  paper 
every  day. 

If  your  city  is  primarily  a  factory  town,  seek  to  get 
some  good  features  of  homely,  every-day  interest  to 
these  workers  and  outline  an  effort  to  render  them 
service  in  the  way  of  playgrounds  for  their  children, 
night  schools,  libraries  and  such. 

In  other  words,  get  down  to  your  people  and  set 
out  plans  to  serve  them. 

By  formulating  such  a  program  you  can  go  to  the 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        113 

business  men  who  furnish  most  of  your  prospective 
advertising  support  and  conclusively  prove  to  them 
that  your  newspaper  is  going  to  be  one  which  they 
must  use  in  their  daily  business. 

If  you  will  but  apply  the  principles  and  ideas  sug- 
gested in  these  early  chapters,  your  experience  when 
it  comes  to  the  real  business  of  newspaper  making 
will  be  greatly  simplified  as  compared  to  that  of  the 
man  who  ventures  on  it  without  the  advantage  of 
chart  and  compass. 


XIV 

Evening  vs.  Morning  Papers 

On  the  following  pages  I  present  two  sets  of  figures 
showing  in  detail  the  use  of  advertising  space  in  New 
York's  daily  newspapers  by  the  sixteen  leading  retail 
fimis,  during  the  years  191 5  and  19 16.  It  will  be 
readily  seen  that  evening  newspapers  carry  nearly  nine 
times  as  much  of  this  business  as  the  six-day-a-week 
morning  newspapers,  and  nearly  twice  as  much  as  all 
the  morning  and  Sunday  papers  combined.  There 
has  been  a  marked  change  in  the  use  of  evening  in 
place  of  morning  newspapers  during  the  last  five  or 
ten  years.  The  advertisers  have  learned  that  the 
paper  taken  into  the  home  produces  better  results  for 
them  than  one  taken  from  the  home  to  the  office. 

To  show  the  point  we  shall  briefly  touch  upon  some 
comparisons  in  volume  of  dry-goods  advertising  carried 
as  reported  by  the  statistical  department  of  The  New 
York  Evening  Post. 

Morning  Newspapers^   including   Sunday 

Using  Highest  Year  Since  1906  Against  19 16 
Year  Lines 

Herald 1907  2,336,119 

Times 1913  2,995,757 

American 1912  3,799,191 

Sun 1906  1,337,165 

World 1912  3,867,109 

Tribtine 1906  892,744 


i^ear 

Lines 

1916 

1,231,285 

1,974,376 

1,906,596 

685,107 

1,650,208 

906,337 

NEWSPAPER   BUILDING         115 


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Sum  Sought 


FIRST  DRAFT  TO 
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ii6         NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

Evening  Papers 

Using  Highest  Year  Since  1906  Against  19 16 

Year                Lines  Year  Lines 

World 1912  4,949,205  1916  2,332,067 

Journal 1912  5,424,254  "  2,959,137 

Globe 1915  2,211,817  "  2,416,050 

Mail 1913  2,795,383  "  2,213,929 

Sun 1915  2,233,143  "  2,322,296 

Post 191 1  1,055,292  "  833,405 

Telegram 191 1  1,705,362  "  1,017,714 

Not  only  have  the  morning  newspapers  lost  heavily 
in  linage,  but  the  tendency  has  been  largely  toward 
the  evening  newspapers  read  by  people  of  the  better 
class.  From  a  distinctly  newspaper  standpoint  Chi- 
cago has  its  Daily  News  with  440,000  circulation, 
Philadelphia  its  Bulletin,  with  400,000  circulation; 
Kansas  City  its  Star,  with  230,000 ;  while  in  New  York 
The  Globe,  The  Mail,  and  The  Evening  Sun,  with  a 
combined  sale  of  over  500,000,  reach  the  same  class 
of  people.  There  is  much  food  for  thought  in  the 
study  of  the  figures  above  and  the  other  tables  here- 
with. 

Being  primarily  an  evening  newspaper  man,  be- 
cause I  feel  that  the  evening  newspaper  can  render 
greatest  public  service  and  can  be  made  more  success- 
ful, I  want  in  a  spirit  of  fairness  to  touch  briefly  upon 
some  additional  morning  newspaper  successes  for  the 
study  of  the  reader  interested  in  that  phase  of  the 
business. 

Without  any  doubt,  to  my  mind,  the  greatest  morn- 
ing newspapers  in  the  United  States  to-day  are  The 
Chicago  Tribune,  The  New  York  Times,  The  New  York 
World,  and  The  Boston  Post.  They  represent  four 
widely  divergent  sorts  of  newspaper.     There  is  little 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING         117 

in  common  among  them  aside  from  the  printing  of  the 
same  general  news.  Their  treatment  and  presentation 
of  the  news  differ  almost  as  widely  as  their  general 
policy. 

We  have  already  considered  The  New  York  Times 
at  some  length  as  a  newspaper  institution  and  let 
Mr.  Ochs  tell  his  own  story  of  its  upbtdlding.  As  I 
have  shown,  The  Times  has  been  dependent  for  its  won- 
derful growth  to  350,000  circulation  a  day  on  its 
copious  presentation  of  **all  the  news  that's  fit  to 
print."  The  Chicago  Tribune  has  passed  the  300,000 
mark  of  daily  circulation  by  presenting  a  more  con- 
densed report  of  the  news  of  the  day,  plus  a  selec- 
tion of  strong  features  of  the  class  so  successfully 
used  by  evening  newspapers. 

The  Tribune  possesses  a  striking  individuality  in  its 
virility  and  wonderful  qualities  of  initiative.  It  is  a 
forcefully  militant  influence  in  Chicago  and  for  many 
hundred  miles  in  all  directions.  It  starts  things  and 
sees  them  through.  It  is  a  newspaper  brimful  of 
life,  human  interest,  and  human  sympathy.  For 
years  The  Tribune  has  led  all  newspapers  in  our  larger 
cities  in  various  plans  to  stimulate  the  interest  of  its 
readers  in  its  advertising.  It  has  rendered  wonderful 
service  in  showing  all  other  newspapers  how  to  make 
distant  manufacturers  visualize  the  great  opportunities 
for  marketing  their  goods  in  Chicago.  Its  surveys 
and  statistical  data  regarding  Chicago  are  without 
question  in  advance  of  anything  else  ever  attempted 
by  a  big  city  newspaper. 

The  Tribune  pulsates  with  virility  and  new  ideas, 
while  The  Times  reflects  the  news  as  it  happens. 
There  is  a  wide  difference.  One  is  loaded  down  with 
cumbersome,  more  or  less  perfunctory  departments  of 


ii8        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

news,  while  the  other  can  get  away  with  probably 
twenty  to  thirty  columns  less  of  reading  matter  a 
day  and  satisfy  every  subscriber  just  as  well.  Be- 
tween the  lines  of  these  two  stories  there  is  a  world  of 
inspiration  for  the  man  ambitious  of  going  forth  and 
seeking  to  establish  a  great  morning  newspaper. 

From  my  individual  standpoint  The  Tribune  is 
the  soundest  model  on  which  to  shape  a  morning 
newspaper  enterprise.  If  more  of  our  morning  news- 
papers took  on  the  general  class  of  The  Tribune  there 
would  be  fewer  of  them  on  the  rocks  or  dodging  the 
sheriff.  The  Tribune  proves  the  exception,  in  making 
a  morning  newspaper  which  is  a  family  newspaper, 
just  as  closely  read  by  the  women  as  the  men,  and 
profitable  to  local  retail  advertisers. 

In  outlining  the  scenario,  so  to  speak,  for  The  New 
York  Globe  we  sought  to  include  all  that  was  best 
in  the  dominant  evening  newspapers  of  the  country 
and  as  much  of  the  virility  and  progressiveness  of 
The  Chicago  Tribune  as  we  could.  A  study  of  our 
efforts  checked  up  with  the  above  brief  summary  of 
The  Tribune  will  clearly  show  traces  of  the  same 
thought. 

As  differing  from  both  The  Tribune  and  The  Times, 
the  upbuilding  of  The  Boston  Post  to  upwards  of 
400,000  per  day  presents  some  considerations  worthy 
of  study  if  not  adaptation.  Here  we  find  a  metropoli- 
tan newspaper  made  for  country  readers.  Boston 
being  a  comparatively  small  residential  city,  and  yet 
the  center  of  a  very  large  and  concentrated  outside 
population,  presents  a  unique  constituency  from  many 
standpoints.  When  Mr.  Grozier  started  his  efforts 
with  the  old  Post  he  was  fresh  from  the  office  of  The 
New  York  World,  then  a  widely  different  newspaper 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING         119 


D'a^Po't    520i590  ;X 


Sall<).y  Port  361,014- 


iX^tolt  lijljgt    IgXTRA 


■JE     18    1917  ■ 


'IkZ  preaches  war 

BioTsocT    BACCALAUREATE 


FAIRJONE 

Violent  Rain  Causa 

Flood  Condition!  in 

New  England 


President  Lowell  Opens   Harvard 

G>mmencement  With  Setmop 

Senior  Class 


"""RUSSI*  ORDERS   . 


Ruth  Ouger's  Skates  Found  in  Cel 

lai  Where  Body  Was  Buried— 

Three  Airalt  Made- 


;liM  Calls  for  Inndiate  Offensive  ki»na 

He  fiermos— Declares  Separate  Peace 

•r  Any  loaetivity  Would  Be  Treasoi 

Socialist  Peace  Enroy 


I20        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

from  what  it  is  to-day.  Big  head-lines  and  the  sensa- 
tional playing  up  of  stories  with  strong  appeal  to  the 
interest  of  the  masses  were  the  characteristics  of  each 
day's  product. 

I  don't  recollect  whether  The  Post  is  responsible  for 
leading  nearly  all  the  other  Boston  newspapers  into 
big  black  type  on  the  front  pages  and  the  playing  up 
of  really  trifling  local  items  beyond  news  of  world- 
wide interest  or  not,  but  I  think  so.  In  any  event 
they  are  given  to  such  treatment  to-day  with  the 
exception  of  The  Transcript  and  The  Christian  Science 
Monitor.  The  fact  that  some  small  preacher  in  Lynn 
slipped  from  the  strait  and  narrow  path  is  bigger 
news  from  the  Boston  newspaper  standpoint  than 
almost  any  ordinary  flrst-page  news  in  other  news- 
papers throughout  the  country.  Likewise  the  Boston 
papers  of  large  circulation  follow  the  erring  village 
pastor  and  erring  mill  worker  clear  up  into  Maine  or 
New  Hampshire. 

In  every  village  and  hamlet  throughout  New  Eng- 
land east  of  the  Connecticut  River  The  Post  sells  in 
goodly  volume.  More  than  almost  any  other  news- 
paper I  know  of  it  covers  a  widely  scattered  population 
very  thoroughly.  Its  circulation  department  repre- 
sents the  acme  of  organization  and  up-to-the-minute 
efficiency.  A  newspaper  like  The  Post  is,  again,  a 
more  flexible  commodity  to  handle  than  a  sound, 
complete,  and  cumbersome  newspaper  like  The  New 
York  Times.  Its  readers  will  accept  a  much  more 
meager  report  of  the  news  of  the  day.  It  is  made 
primarily  for  country  people  who  devour  head-lines, 
and  are  wilhng  to  suck  the  shreds  of  meat  almost  off 
the  bare  bones. 

On  the  surface  of  things  it  would  seem  that  there 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING         121 

was  a  fine  opportunity  for  a  first-class,  hones t-to- 
God,  morning  newspaper  in  Boston.  Formerly  The 
Boston  Herald  was  such  a  newspaper  and  scored  a  big 
success  until  it  fell  a  prey  to  internal  factional  fights 
for  control  and  its  main  purpose  was  overlooked.  My 
criticism  of  the  Boston  press  is  not  meant  to  be  an 
attack,  but  merely  a  note  of  constructive  advice. 

In  conclusion  I  want  to  point  out  some  fine  types  of 
smaller  city  morning  newspapers  which  have  won 
dominance  and  success  and  can  be  profitably  studied 
as  models.  I  have  particularly  in  mind  The  Dallas 
News,  The  Washington  Post,  The  Atlanta  Constitution, 
The  New  Orleans  Times-Picayune,  The  Houston  Post, 
The  Los  Angeles  Times,  The  Portland  Oregonian,  and 
The  Spokane  Spokesman-Review. 


PART  III 

Building    Up   the   Property 

New  York  Glohe^s  Pure-food  Campaign — 
Fashion  Services  and  School  Pages — How 
to  Find  the  Pulling  Power  of  Various 
Features — Proportion  of  Advertising  and 
Editorial  Matter 


XV 

The  Pure-food  Campaign 

When  The  Globe  permitted  Alfred  W.  McCann  to 
start  his  series  of  pure  food  articles  December,  191 2, 
we  thought  we  were  undertaking  a  rather  unusual  bit 
of  public  service  and  nothing  else.  To  try  to  clear 
up  the  rottenest  spots  in  the  traffic  in  injurious  foods 
in  the  New  York  markets  was  no  light  task,  and  we 
were  pretty  sure  it  would  be  interesting.  How  ready 
the  New  York  public  was  for  such  a  vigorous  and 
courageous  campaign  as  Mr.  McCann  launched  and 
has  carried  on  for  upward  of  four  years  was  shown 
by  results  none  of  us  foresaw.  As  many  as  forty  or 
fifty  thousand  new  readers  were  attracted  to  the  paper 
and  literally  hundreds  of  thousands  of  commendatory- 
letters. 

During  the  early  months  of  the  campaign  those  in 
charge  of  powerful  interests  engaged  in  making  and 
handling  dishonest  and  denatured  foodstuffs  did 
everything  they  could  to  discourage  us  and  discredit 
Mr.  McCann.  We  felt  their  subtle  influence  in  our 
advertising  columns,  for  they  did  not  hesitate  to  pass 
the  word  along  the  line  and  effectively  show  The 
Globe  that  it  was  sailing  in  dangerous  waters.  We 
knew  this  influence  was  at  work,  but  it  was  so  cleverly 
exerted  that  we  could  never  put  our  hands  on  any 
positive  proofs  which  would  justify  us  in  launching 


126        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

definite  broadsides  against  it,  as  we  certainly  should 
have  done  had  we  known  where  to  hit. 

For  sixteen  months  Mr.  McCann  published  daily 
articles  exposing  crime  and  dishonesty  in  the  food 
business,  exposing  illegal  practices,  causing  the  arrest 
and  conviction  of  dealers  and  manufacturers,  despite 
the  opposition  of  influential  officials.  During  all  the 
time  readers  had  been  writing  The  Globe  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Cann asking  what  foods  were  clean  and  wholesome 
and  where  they  could  be  bought.  In  response  to 
thousands  of  these  letters,  in  April,  19 14,  we  started 
our  ''Pure  Food  Directory,"  in  which  we  listed  only 
food  products  which  had  stood  the  investigation  by 
Mr.  McCann  and  the  chemical  analysis  he  directed. 
At  the  same  time,  anxious  to  serve  as  fully  as  possible 
the  wants  of  the  public  which  we  had  aroused,  Mr. 
McCann,  taking  the  cue  from  his  correspondents, 
threw  himself  into  the  work  of  judging  good  foods  and 
extolling  them  by  name  with  as  much  zest  as  he  had 
shown  in  running  down  the  bad  ones  and  condemning 
them  by  name.  When  an  article  applied  for  admis- 
sion to  the  directory  that  came  up  to  the  standards  he 
set  and  especially  appealed  to  him  as  meritorious,  he 
would  tell  our  readers  what  its  peculiar  merits  were 
and  why  he  gave  it  a  place  in  the  list  of  honor.  Con- 
ventional newspaper  men  sniffed  at  such  articles  as 
axes  and  wondered  if  The  Globe  had  changed  its 
policy.  They  could  not  see  what  our  readers  had  no 
difficulty  in  seeing,  that,  having  undertaken  to  tell  the 
truth  about  food,  we  had  to  go  on,  no  matter  which 
side  the  truth  lay  on,  or  else  leave  our  public  in  the 
lurch.  It's  an  idea  newer  to  journalism  than  it  ought 
to  be  and  one  that  might  well  be  practised  in  all  its 
departments. 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING         127 


TBE  GIOBB  XlfD  OOMMEBglAt  HDVlJK'LliitJi:   HEW   YORK  SATtKBAT.'  jtmHW.  tWl 


128         NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

The  response  to  the  advertising  in  the  Food  Direc- 
tory was  to  me,  who  had  been  in  the  business  for  over 
thirty  years,  a  complete  revelation.  Many  products 
which  were  comparatively  unknown  immediately 
sprang  into  big  sellers.  It  was  like  letting  loose  the 
water  of  a  large  pond  through  a  mill-race.  Our 
readers  simply  flooded  the  stores,  asking  for  the 
articles  which  were  admitted  to  the  Directory  after 
examination  by  Mr.  McCann. 

Take  Wheatsworth  Biscuit  as  an  example.  It  was 
a  product  selling  in  very  small  quantities,  owing  to  the 
impossibility  of  its  manufacturers,  with  Hmited  capi- 
tal, getting  any  sort  of  co-operation  from  the  jobbers 
and  dealers.  Here  is  a  letter  from  the  Wheatsworth 
concern,  dated  June  29,  19 14,  within  sixty  days  after 
the  start  of  their  small  two-inch  card  in  the  Food 
Directory,  which  was  the  only  advertising  they  did : 

Dear  Sir, — ^When  we  signed  the  contract  for  advertising  in 
The  Globe^s  Pure  Food  Directory,  representing  Wheatsworth 
Biscuits,  it  was  with  the  idea  that  we  were  merely  helping  along 
a  good  cause.  After  the  first  issue  we  changed  our  minds,  as  we 
began  receiving  inquiries  from  the  housewife  and  dealer  alike — 
not  only  from  Greater  New  York,  but  from  as  far  West  as  Chicago. 
We  have  been  forced  to  revamp  our  sales  and  distribution  plans 
and  expect  in  the  future  to  carry  large  space  in  the  Pure  Food 
Directory,  as  well  as  display  space  in  The  Globe.  We  believe  The 
Globe* s  Pure  Food  Directory  will  be  one  of  the  large  units  in 
making  Wheatsworth  products  nationally  known  to  an  awakening 
public.    Yours  very  truly, 

F.  H.  Bennet  Biscuit    Co., 
G.  F.  Cole,  Director  of  Sales. 

Before  being  admitted  to  the  directory  only  fifty 
dozen  packages  of  Wheatsworth  were  being  sold  a 
month.     Within  a  month  the  sale  had  jumped  to 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING         129 

enormous  proportions  and  within  a  year  Wheatsworth 
was  on  sale  by  every  dealer  in  such  goods  in  the 
metropolitan  district.  It  became  as  well  known  as 
articles  which  had  been  introduced  by  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  dollars  of  advertising  running  over  a 
long  period  of  years. 

Here  is  another  letter,  dated  within  six  weeks  after 
advertising  started  in  The  Globe's  Pure  Food  Direc- 
tory, from  the  Normanna  Company,  a  concern 
marketing  Norwegian  fish  products : 

Dear  Sir, — Dishonesty  in  business  is  the  greatest  enemy  of  the 
honest  business  man.  The  Globe  had  our  hearty  sympathy  in 
starting  its  Pure  Food  campaign  several  months  ago.  Of  all 
dishonesty  the  food  fraud  is  most  despicable.  It  hits  both  the 
honest  competitor  and  the  consumer.  It  is  more  than  dishonesty; 
it  is  a  crime. 

When  you  started  your  Pure  Food  Directory  we  were  glad  to 
be  admitted  with  our  Normanna  products,  because  your  idea 
struck  us  as  the  acme  of  constructive  salesmanship.  The  results, 
however,  have  passed  our  fondest  anticipations.  The  Normanna 
boneless  kippered  herring,  only  conceived  by  us  as  an  idea  in 
January  of  this  year,  packed  in  Norway  under  our  supervision 
during  February  and  March  and  consequently  unknown,  seemed 
to  leap  into  the  limelight  as  soon  as  appearing  in  your  certified 
directory,  and  the  inquiries  came  from  all  over  the  metropolitan 
territory  by  mail,  telephone,  and  even  in  the  form  of  numerous 
personal  calls. 

The  power  obtained  by  The  Globe  through  its  Pure  Food  cam- 
paign came  as  a  revelation  to  us.  We  have  seen  the  proof;  as 
admirers  of  Mr.  McCann  and  his  work  we  wish  more  power  to 
you  and  to  him.    Very  sincerely  yours, 

I.  ToKSTAD,  President, 

TOKSTAD-BURGER  Co. 

These,  of  course,  came  from  New  York  concerns, 
but  let  me  record  one  or  two  cases  out  of  town,  which 
I  think  may  be  more  interesting,  apropos  of  the  title, 


I30        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

** Breaking  into  New  York."  Here  is  a  letter  from 
the  J.  F.  Jelke  Company,  of  Chicago,  manufacturers 
of  Good  Luck  Margarine: 

Dear  Sirs, — ^We  feel  it  our  duty,  and  we  assure  you  it  is  a 
pleasure,  to  advise  you  briefly  of  the  results  of  your  efforts  to 
break  down  the  prejudice  that  has  existed  in  Greater  New  York 
against  the  high-grade  Margarine  as  a  spread  for  bread  and  the 
benefits  we  have  experienced  in  the  admission  of  Good  Luck 
Margarine  to  the  Pure  Food  columns  of  The  Globe. 

For  more  than  thirty  years  we  have  been  churning  Good  Luck 
Margarine  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  our  output  now  being  almost 
40,000,000  pounds  annually;  this  finds  its  market  in  sealed 
cartons  in  every  comer  of  the  United  States.  Eleven  years  ago 
we  opened  our  New  York  distributing  house  and  have  been  making 
a  continual  effort  to  acquaint  the  consumers  of  this  city  with  the 
merits  of  our  product. 

Some  time  ago  we  made  application  for  admission  to  the  Pure 
Food  columns  of  The  Globe.  Our  product  was  accepted  by  Mr. 
McCann.  Four  weeks  ago  our  announcement  first  appeared  in 
your  Pure  Food  Directory.  Results  have  been  magical.  Our 
business  in  the  metropolitan  district  has  been  more  than  tripled; 
a  continual  stream  of  your  enthusiasts  have  visited  the  store; 
we  have  opened  hundreds  of  new  accounts  within  the  month,  and 
Good  Luck  dealers  are  all  enjoying  a  splendid  business. 

We  have  been  flooded  with  letters  of  inquiry  from  every  Eastern 
and  South  Atlantic  State,  all  of  which  indicates  the  interest  you 
have  been  instrumental  in  creating  for  honest  foods. 

We  thank  you  for  what  you  have  done  for  us  and  assure  you 
of  our  future  hearty  cooperation,  and  remain,  very  truly  yours, 

J.  F.  Jelke  Company, 
O.  S.  Martin,  Manager. 

Then  we  shall  take  another — a.  product  which,  up 
to  its  advertising  in  The  Globe,  had  a  very  limited  sale 
in  New  York.  I  refer  to  the  products  of  the  Kellogg 
Food  Company,  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  operated  in 
connection  with  the  Battle  Creek  Sanitarium.  Let 
the  letter  speak  for  itself: 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        131 

Dear  Sirs, — I  am  writing  you  this  letter  because  I  feel  you 
will  be  interested  to  know  of  the  progress  we  are  making  in  the 
distribution  of  Kellogg's  Bran  since  the  appearance  of  our  28-line 
advertisement  in  The  Globe's  Pure  Food  Directory.  We  regard 
the  results  obtained  as  simply  marvelous.  Upward  of  four 
hundred  calls  were  made  at  my  office,  either  in  person,  by  letter, 
or  telephone,  inquiring  where  Kellogg's  Bran  could  be  pvirchased. 
In  every  instance  they  mentioned  The  Globe  and  the  confidence 
they  had  in  any  article  backed  up  by  Mr.  McCann.  Our  small 
space  in  the  Pure  Food  Directory  appeared  on  Tuesday,  April  6, 
and  up  to  the  close  of  my  business  on  Tuesday,  the  20th,  I  had 
placed  1,160  cases  of  Kellogg's  Bran  on  this  market.  The 
Kellogg  Company  has  been  in  business  for  upwards  of  forty  years, 
manufacturing  nearly  150  food  products.  They  have  confined 
their  advertising  efforts  almost  exclusively  to  samples  and  demon- 
strations. Our  contract  with  The  Globe  is  practically  our  first 
adventure  in  the  newspaper  field,  and  the  results  thus  far  clearly 
indicate  that  we  have  discovered  the  medium  through  which  to 
reach  the  trade  of  New  York  City.    Very  truly  yours, 

E.  B.  Henderson, 
Eastern  Sales  Agent. 

Enough  is  enough!  We  have  taken  absolutely  un- 
known food  products  and,  on  the  strength  of  very 
little  advertising,  given  them  a  distribution  they  could 
not  duplicate  short  of  an  expenditure  of  from  thirty 
to  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  preliminary  investigations 
and  work  among  dealers  in  advance  of  advertising 
campaigns.  Doctor  Green  of  the  Postum  Cereal 
Company  told  me  recently  that  it  was  a  shame  we  had 
no  machinery  to  charge  a  food  manufacturer  for  the 
service  we  really  rendered  him.  As  he  put  it — we 
could  do  more  good  for  a  food  manufacturer  for  a 
thousand  dollars  in  advertising  in  The  Globe  than  he 
could  secure  by  spending  from  thirty  to  fifty  thousand 
dollars  in  the  ordinary  way.  The  whole  campaign 
is  far  beyond  any  past  experience  in  advertising ;  it  is 


132        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

super-advertising  of  the  most  intensified  sort.  It 
shows  what  can  be  done  by  newspapers  to  produce 
similar  results  for  advertisers  in  other  lines.  Few 
newspapers  have  the  patience  or  willingness  to  work 
on  a  plan  long  enough  without  result  to  prepare  the 
field  for  ultimate  success.  We  did  so  purely  for  the 
benefit  of  our  readers,  without  realizing  how  effectively 
we  were  building. 

Scores  and  scores  of  well-known  food  products  have 
applied  for  admission  to  The  Glohe^s  Pure  Food  Direc- 
tory that  were  not  found  up  to  the  standard  of 
admission.  Many  of  these  are  now  honestly  trying 
to  clean  house,  as  it  were,  and  to  gain  admission,  while 
a  small  number  of  them  think  it  presumptuous  for 
any  newspaper  to  insist  on  a  standard  higher  than  the 
law  for  the  protection  of  its  readers. 

Beef -packers;  dealers  in  rotten  meats,  rotten  eggs; 
those  who  sell  bad  food  preservatives  and  dangerous 
coloring  matters;  the  child-poisoners  who  traffic  in 
deadly  things  they  call  candy — all  hate  our  pure-food 
policy.  The  Globe  is  proud  of  such  enemies,  and  is 
confident  that  its  plan  of  exposing  the  crooked  and 
exploiting  the  meritorious  has  been  of  most  important 
service  in  the  interest  of  the  public,  as  well  as  in  the 
interest  of  makers  of  honest  foods. 


XVI 
Fashions  and  Intensive  Work 

A  REMARKABLE  record  of  success  produced  through 
the  intelligent  handling  and  specialization  of  fashion 
news  has  been  made  by  The  Globe,  which  clearly  points 
a  new  line  of  endeavor  to  other  newspapers  where  it 
has  not  been  developed.     It  dates  back  to  about  six 

years   ago   when   a   young  man   named began 

trying  to  see  me.  He  called  repeatedly  for  six  or 
eight  weeks  before  I  finally  consented  to  an  interview. 
He  said  he  wanted  to  go  to  Paris  to  organize  a  depart- 
ment of  ** Original  Paris  Fashions."  I  told  him  I  had 
no  objection  to  his  going  to  Paris,  but  that  I  took  no 
interest  in  the  development  of  Paris  fashions.  After 
a  talk  he  agreed  to  go  to  Paris  at  his  own  expense  if  I 
would  promise  to  consider  his  proposition  when  he 
returned.  That  brief  talk  was  the  starting  point  of 
wonderful  things  that  have  been  done  in  direct  selling 
plans  by ,  then  merely  an  unknown  man  of  lim- 
ited advertising  experience,  but  brilliant  imagination 
and  great  willingness  to  work. 

went  to  Paris  and  established  relations  with 

Worth,  Paquin,  Drecoll,  and  other  well-known  de- 
signers, and  came  back  prepared  to  do  business.  He 
proposed  to  publish  a  daily  fashion  article,  illustrated 
with  drawings  by  Kelly,  showing  all  the  new  designs. 
I,  like  most  newspaper  men,  thought  the  matter  would 


134        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

be  above  the  heads  of  the  people,  but  was  willing  to 

try  it ' '  at  your  own  price, ' '  as put  it.     He  started 

at  fifty  dollars  a  week,  if  I  remember  correctly.  He 
is  now  one  of  the  highest  paid  men  in  the  advertis- 
ing business.     We  began  to  publish  the  material  and 

began  to  get  advertising  from  specialty  shops  we 

had  never  had  in  The  Globe. 

That  fall  we  got  out  the  first  of  his  now  famous 
fashion  numbers,  which  surpassed  anything  previous- 
ly attempted  by  a  daily  newspaper  for  beauty  of 
make-up  and  fashion-news  merit,  and  gathered  a  mass 
of  advertisements  which  were  read  with  as  much 
interest  as  the  reading  matter.  Unlike  nearly  all 
previous  special  numbers.  The  Globe's  Spring  and  Fall 
Fashion  Numbers  were  limited  to  advertising  from 
regular  advertisers  and  as  part  of  definite,  well- 
conceived,  and  thoroughly  carried  out  selling  cam- 
paigns. Naturally,  this  advertising  produced  hand- 
some results  for  every  one  concerned.  Each  suc- 
ceeding number  has  been  more  successful  than  the 
one  ahead  of  it,  and  practically  every  advertiser  who 
has  started  in  one  of  the  numbers  has  repeated  as 
often  as  we  got  them  out,  with  swelling  volume  of  copy 
in  the  regular  daily  issues  of  The  Globe. 

Through  the  fashion  numbers,  daily  fashion  service, 
fashion  shows,  and  other  fashion  ideas  The  Globe 
interested  its  women  readers  in  its  fashion  service  and 
thus  fertilized  its  constituency  in  a  way  no  other 
newspaper  had  attempted  with  equal  success,  which 
made  advertising  in  its  columns  universally  produc- 
tive. Going  parallel  with  this  reader  stimulation  we, 
by  systematic  work,  secured  the  substantial  interest 
of  a  large  part  of  the  14,000  or  15,000  dressmakers  of 
New  York,  and  specialty  shops  and  big  retail  stores 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 


135 


136         NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

all  over  the  country.  This  established  an  ideal  market- 
place for  the  man  with  a  fabric  or  women's  wear 
article  he  desired  to  put  out.  The  big  retail  shops  in 
New  York  recognized  the  importance  and  hold  The 
Globe  had  secured  on  a  large  part  of  the  buying  public 
in  New  York  by  constantly  increasing  the  volume  of 
their  advertising  in  its  columns,  until  to-day  and  for 
months  back  The  Globe  carries  more  of  this  business 
than  any  other  newspaper. 

Growing  out  of  this  development,  or  rather  inci- 
dental to  it,  we  have  put  over  some  campaigns  worthy 
of  note  and  which  should  be  of  interest  to  any  one 
wishing  to  break  into  New  York.  Let  us  consider 
just  a  few  high  spots. 

Take  the  Gossard  Corset  as  an  example. 

Here  was  a  concern  doing  a  corset  business  of 
$4,000,000  a  year,  of  which  only  $100,000  was  in 
New  York — a  mere  crumb  of  the  business  they  were 
entitled  to.  They  had  a  good  corset,  as  every  one 
in  a  position  to  know  tells  me.  They  had  tried  for 
years  to  ** break  into  New  York,"  without  success. 
They  had  spent  large  sums  of  money  trying  to  get 
some  of  the  important  stores  to  take  on  their  line. 
They  were  willing  to  spend  no  end  of  money  to  get 
into  society,  as  it  were,  but  had  failed  of  any  appre- 
ciable result. 

Along  in  the  fall  of  1914  Mr.  had  the  good 

fortune  to  meet  Mr.  Feldman,  the  advertising  manager 
of  the  Gossard  Company,  and  told  him  that  he 
thought  he  could  show  him  how.  He  unfolded  a  plan 
which  won  the  approval  of  Mr.  Feldman  and  his 
house,  and  got  busy  with  him  preparing  the  copy. 
With  the  copy  in  hand,  starting  with  pages  and 
running  down  to  half -pages  and  quarters,  the  Gossard 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        137 

people  called  on  the  leading  big  shops  which  had 
learned  that  advertising  in  The  Globe  produced  results, 
and  got  seven  or  eight  of  the  leaders  to  put  in  a  stock 
of  their  corsets.  Through  the  influence  of  The  Globe 
the  Gossard  concern  secured  orders  it  had  not  been 
able  previously  to  touch.  The  advertising  did  the 
rest.  The  stores  sold  the  goods,  the  people  liked  the 
goods,  and  Gossard  "had  broken  into  New  York." 
Here  is  a  letter  from  Mr.  Gossard : 

Gentlemen, — It  is  a  pleasure  to  recognize  demonstrated  merit 
and  give  it  due  credit.  Since  we  began  using  The  Globe  last  fall 
we  have  received  much  valuable  co-operation,  and  our  present 
50,000-line  contract  with  you  is  the  result.  Indeed,  within  that 
period  most  of  the  best  stores  in  New  York  City  have  arranged  to 
supply  our  merchandise  to  the  women  of  New  York.  The 
tremendous  increase  in  our  Eastern  business  has  made  it  necessary 
for  us  to  open  a  warehouse,  with  general  offices,  for  the  transac- 
tion of  oiu*  New  York  City  business  and  Eastern  trade.  With 
my  best  wishes  for  the  continued  success  of  your  good  newspaper, 
I  am,  Yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)  H.  W.  Gossard. 

A  50,000-line  campaign  from  a  corset  house  in  a 
single  newspaper  is  a  large  contract.  Yet,  for  a 
comparatively  small  sum  The  Globe  was  able  to  give 
Mr.  Gossard  a  market  and  distribution  he  probably 
could  not  have  secured  for  ten  times  the  sum  and  per- 
haps months  or  years  of  waiting  by  the  ordinary  route. 

Let  me  show  you  how  we  helped  another  sort  of 
advertiser  firmly  and  solidly  onto  his  feet.  I  refer 
to  "Worth,"  a  specialty  shop  on  Thirty-fourth 
Street,  just  east  of  Sixth  Avenue.     During  the  fall 

of  1 9 14  Mr. got  wind  that  a  Mr.  Solomon  was 

going  to  open  a  shop  on  Thirty-fourth  Street.  Mr. 
got  in  touch  with  him  and  told  him  that  he 


138        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

thought  he  could  help  him.     Sigmund  Kahn,   the 

advertising  agent,  was  called  in  and   he  and 

shaped  up  a  campaign. 

From  the  very  start  it  was  a  success,  and  Mr. 
Solomon's  business  grew  to  a  volume  that  required 
more  space  to  take  care  of  the  traffic.  His  advertising 
increased  and  results  still  continued  to  grow.  He 
advertised  in  no  other  New  York  newspaper.  His 
advertisements  were  all  about  the  same  size — 150 
lines  by  two  or  three.  I  think  he  was  particularly 
fortunate  in  the  selection  of  the  type  used  for  the 
name  ** Worth,"  and  more  particularly  for  his  good 
sense  in  buying  plenty  of  white  space  so  as  to  make 
the  advertisement  stick  up  regardless  of  how  it  was 
placed  on  any  page  of  the  newspaper.  The  ** Worth" 
advertising  is  the  best  sort  of  a  demonstration  of  an 
advertisement  which  cannot  be  buried.  It  shines 
like  a  bright  diamond  from  any  printed  page,  and,  of 
course,  attracts  attention,  which  is  what  advertising 
is  primarily  designed  to  do. 

The  ** Worth"  business  has  grown  until  to-day  it 
occupies  all  the  front  on  the  street  that  could  be  got, 
and  as  much  of  the  second  floor  of  the  building  as  was 
available.  This  year  it  has  taken  on  other  newspapers 
at  our  suggestion,  and  the  business  still  continues  to 
grow,  and  my  prediction  is  that,  in  the  course  of  a 
few  years,  the  ** Worth"  concern  will  be  one  of  our 
big  retail  specialty  shops. 

Here  is  a  letter  from  Mr.  Solomon,  indicating  what 
he  thought  of  the  effectiveness  of  the  co-operation 
and  service  given  him: 

Dear  Sir, — I  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  very  nice  way  you  are 
treating  us.    You  are  one  of  those  rare  chaps  in  the  advertising 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        139 

game  that  do  considerably  more  than  you  promise,  and  I  am 
grateful  to  yourself  and  your  paper.  To  you,  for  persuading  me 
to  enter  an  advertising  campaign  with  you,  and  your  paper  for  the 
excellent  results  achieved. 

Should  you  require  a  service  from  me  I  shall  be  very  happy  to 
reciprocate.    Yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)  Louis  R.  Solomon, 

President  and  Treasurer. 

Results  of  this  kind  don't  simply  just  grow,  like 
Topsy.  The  ''Worth"  advertising  was  of  a  kind  that 
inspired  confidence.  Its  display  was  neat  and  attrac- 
tive. The  store  gave  good  service  and  good  values 
and  success  has  been  the  result. 


XVII 

The  School  Page  and  Home  Features 

Many  years  ago  when  The  Globe  was  the  old  Com- 
mercial Advertiser  it  began  the  publication  of  a  regular 
daily  feature  of  school  news,  news  covering  the  entire 
activities  of  the  Board  of  Education  and  the  schools 
it  administers.  Even  in  those  days,  when  the  handling 
of  the  matter  was  crude  and  incomplete  compared 
with  modem  requirements,  it  was  looked  for  by  most 
of  New  York's  15,000  or  20,000  school  teachers. 
With  the  change  to  The  Globe  sl  feature  which  took 
up  nearly  a  page  a  day  became  very  burdensome  in  a 
newspaper  with  100,000  circulation,  but  we  hesitated 
to  drop  it. 

In  going  over  the  problem  with  the  late  Colonel 
Nelson  he  told  me  of  his  early  experience  in  handling 
a  full  page  of  railroad  news,  formerly  a  big  feature 
of  The  Star.  He  said  that  when  it  got  too  cumber- 
some he  threw  it  out.  I  suggested  confining  the 
school  news  to  one  edition  every  day,  and  letting  the 
teachers  know  which  one  it  would  be  in,  so  that  they 
could  arrange  for  their  newsboys  or  newsdealers  to 
deliver  it  to  them.  Colonel  Nelson  thought  the  idea 
worth  a  trial,  so  on  my  return  East  we  made  the 
change.  It  was  successful  and  we  held  all  of  the  well- 
established  constituency. 

It  may  seem  an  extravagance  to  set  a  full  page  of 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 


141 


THE  GLOBE'S  DAILY  SCHOOL  PAGE. 


-SsSSUiSL  i5XIS.T!?KH^.  ^  1 


142         NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

matter  and  throw  it  away  after  running  it  in  only  one 
edition,  but  by  so  doing  we  to-day  have  an  exclusive 
semi-official  relation  with  upwards  of  20,000  school 
teachers  drawing  close  to  $40,000,000  a  year  in 
salaries.  Our  treatment  of  school  news  is  fairly 
representative  of  the  daily  average.  It  covers  practi- 
cally all  the  proceedings  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
important  appointments  and  meetings  of  associa- 
tions, and  discusses  all  matters  of  interest  to  teachers 
and  parents.  The  body  of  the  paper  has  the  news 
up  to  the  time  of  going  to  press.  Other  newspapers 
from  time  to  time  have  endeavored  to  loosen  The 
Globe's  hold  on  the  school  teachers  of  New  York, 
without  success,  after  spending  large  sums  of  money 
during  their  experiments. 

In  referring  to  these  special  departments  my  pur- 
pose is  mainly  to  show  how  The  Globe  has  been  built 
up,  block  by  block,  solidly  cemented  together,  forming 
a  constituency  at  once  loyal  and  desirable.  Again 
further  to  indicate  how  very  small  items  may  be 
utilized  for  great  newspaper  developments,  I  am 
going  to  touch  briefly  upon  two  things  we  have  done 
which  stood  unique  in  metropolitan  journalism,  but 
which  are  now  in  general  use  through  the  country. 

Realizing  that  the  immense  circulation  of  our 
Sunday  newspapers  as  compared  with  their  week-day 
issues  was  largely  represented  by  the  hold  on  the 
children  obtained  by  their  comic  sections  and  such 
matter,  we  secured  the  service  of  Thornton  W. 
Burgess  in  the  Associated  Newspapers  to  produce  his 
own  famous  "Bed  Time  Stories." 

These  little  stories  are  without  question  the  best 
thing  of  the  kind  produced,  and  are  one  of  the  very 
best  newspaper  features.     Following  the  lead  of  The 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        i43 

Kansas  City  Star,  which  organized  a  "Bed  Time 
Story  Club"  with  a  red  "Peter  Rabbitt"  button  as 
a  club  emblem,  we  stuck  to  the  job  until  we  had 
198,000  children  enrolled  as  members  of  The  Globe's 
Bed  Time  Story  Club.  This  meant  that  a  large  part 
of  these  198,000  children  "cried  for  The  Globe''  qyoty 
night.  We  carried  the  idea  to  the  extent  of  monster 
meetings  of  the  Bed  Time  Story  Club  in  the  public 
parks,  where  we  brought  out  15,000  to  20,000  at  a 
gathering.  We  had  a  "Peter  Rabbitt  Show"  at  one 
of  New  York's  largest  theaters  for  a  full  week  to 
crowded  houses.  The  members  of  our  "Bed  Time 
Story  Club"  have  done  really  wonderful  things  in 
the  way  of  co-operative  effort  to  raise  small  funds  for 
charitable  purposes.  We  regularly  hold  sewing,  com- 
position, drawing,  and  other  contests  to  keep  them 
interested. 

This  huge  children's  organization,  the  largest  of  its 
kind  in  any  city  in  the  country,  is  a  deep-rooted,  far- 
reaching  affair.  It  works  its  way  into  all  sorts  and 
conditions  of  households.  Children  of  the  richest  and 
most  exclusive  families  in  New  York  and  vicinity  are 
just  as  much  interested  as  others. 

In  my  meetings  with  prominent  business  men  it  is 
not  unusual  for  me  to  hear  the  remark :  "My  grandson 
is  a  great  admirer  of  your  newspaper.  He  started  us 
taking  The  Globe  for  that  Bed  Time  Story,  and  now 
we  all  like  it." 

In  our  relation  with  the  children  we  found  that  it 
would  be  desirable  to  get  something  else  to  hold  their 
interest  after  they  had  grown  beyond  the  Bed  Time 
Story  age,  so  we  secured  the  services  of  Ralph  Henry 
Barbour,  the  writer  of  the  most  popular  boys'  stories 
of  the  day.    We  induced  Mr,  Barbour  to  write  us 


144        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

several  original  serial  stories  in  between  the  publica- 
tion of  some  of  his  earlier  books.  Then  we  organized 
a  "Ralph  Henry  Barbour  Club"  of  boys  between  ten 
and  sixteen  years,  and  built  it  up  to  a  membership  of 
over  60,000. 

In  this  we  had  another  great  factor  of  strength. 
The  stories  were  read  aloud  in  Y.  M.  C.  A.  halls.  Club 
meetings  were  held  throughout  the  city,  and  our 
friends  the  public  school  teachers  were  able  to  help 
us  get  this  good  literature  before  the  young  folks  of 
the  city. 


XVIII 

special  -News  Service 

So  important  and  unusual  was  the  organization  of 
the  War  News  Service  of  The  Chicago  Daily  News 
that  it  has  seemed  to  me  best  to  reproduce  here  Mr. 
Lawson's  own  account  of  it,  as  printed  in  The  Editor 
and  Publisher: 

Not  long  ago  an  American  visited  one  of  the  leading  members 
of  the  British  Cabinet.  During  the  course  of  the  conversation 
the  Minister  complained  of  how  Uttle  the  Cabinet  members  were 
able  to  learn  of  actual  war  conditions  beyond  what  was  printed 
in  the  newspapers. 

*'But  your  papers  do  not  print  the  news  of  the  war/'  replied 
the  American.  ''They  have  biased  reports  of  operations,  and 
these  are  not  frankly  written  nor  are  they  complete  since  they 
give  practically  nothing  of  the  side  of  Germany  and  its  allies. 
We  Americans  are  in  a  far  better  position  to  get  the  war  news 
than  you  Englishmen." 

"What  American  newspaper,"  then  asked  the  Minister,  "pub- 
lishes the  fullest  and  most  reliable  news  of  the  war?  " 

"  The  Chicago  Daily  News"  was  the  answer. 

"Will  you  have  that  paper  sent  to  me  daily?"  asked  the 
Minister.  "Have  it  addressed  to  me  personally  so  that  it  will  be 
placed  directly  on  my  desk.  I  shall  read  its  war  news  every 
day." 

Now  why  does  this  Minister  of  one  of  the  greatest  nations  at 
war  depend  upon  a  Chicago  newspaper  for  accurate  information 
regarding  the  world  struggle?  Why  did  the  London  Chronicle, 
in  its  issue  of  June  19,  1915,  characterize  the  Daily  News  as  "by 


146        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

far  the  best  evening  newspaper  in  the  world,"  and  state  that  "it 
has  published  more  special  war  news  than  any  paper  in  America?  " 
Why  has  The  Daily  News  been  enabled  to  score  more  beats  on  the 
war  in  its  special  foreign  service  than  perhaps  any  other  paper  in 
the  world?  Why  is  its  foreign  news  service  subscribed  to  by 
papers  from  California  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  in  Canada 
and  even  in  London? 

These  questions  were  answered  by  the  man  who  made  this 
great  achievement  possible,  Victor  F.  Lawson. 

"For  sixteen  years,"  he  said,  "we  were  getting  ready  to  handle 
the  world's  biggest  story  and  when  it  broke  we  were  prepared." 

"We  established  our  foreign  news  service  eighteen  years  ago," 
he  said.  "Why?  Because  we  felt  we  were  not  getting  all  the 
news  and  the  kind  of  news  from  Europe  that  we  wanted.  The 
Associated  Press  had  a  good  foreign  service  then — not  as  complete 
a  service  as  it  has  now,  of  course — ^but  neither  it  nor  any  of  the 
foreign  bureaus — ^the  Reuter  Agency  which  covers  the  British 
possessions,  the  Havas  Agency  in  France,  or  the  Wolf  Agency  in 
Germany — as  getting  all  of  the  news  we  believed  the  American 
people  wanted.  The  Associated  Press  at  that  time,  as  now,  was 
getting  a  good  deal  of  its  news  through  the  foreign  agencies  and 
they  did  not  have  the  American  viewpoint. 

"I  established  our  London  Bureau  back  in  1898  when  I  pub- 
lished The  Record,  and  when  I  sold  that  paper  to  Mr.  H.  H. 
Kohlsaat  I  retained  the  foreign  service  and  brought  it  over  to 
The  News.  Gradually  we  have  built  it  up  and  extended  it, 
training  our  own  men  especially  for  the  work  and  having  them  in 
turn  organize  and  instruct  a  corps  of  assistants  in  cities  in  which 
we  do  not  maintain  regular  bureaus. 

"We  have  had  to  learn  by  experience.  At  first  we  did  not 
know  whether  we  would  get  better  results  by  employing  men 
abroad,  men  who  knew  the  languages,  the  customs,  and  the  poHtics 
of  Europe,  or  by  sending  our  own  men  over  from  this  country. 
We  tried  both  plans  and  we  have  obtained  better  results  by  sending 
our  own  men  over. 

"We  send  a  man  to  a  place  like,  say,  Berlin,  and  in  two  or  three 
years  he  is  a  valuable  asset  to  our  service.  He  becomes  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  language,  the  people,  the  laws,  and  the  politics. 
He  becomes  acquainted  with  the  most  prominent  statesmen  and 
citizens.  He  absorbs  the  atmosphere  and  yet  retains  his  Ameri- 
can viewpoint.    He  is  able  to  see  the  news,  grasp  his  story  and 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        147 

handle  it  in  a  manner  so  that  the  American  public  will  understand 
and  appreciate  its  value. 

"  In  this  way  we  have  built  up  our  service.  Edward  Price  Bell, 
one  of  the  first  men  we  sent  over,  has  been  in  charge  of  our  London 
Bureau  for  years.  He  is  the  dean  of  our  foreign  news  service. 
Most  of  the  news  gathered  by  the  other  correspondents  passes 
through  the  London  Bureau  and  Mr.  Bell,  to  a  great  extent, 
directs  the  entire  foreign  staff.  Handling  the  news  at  a  central 
point  prevents  duplication  and  minimizes  cable  tolls.  Our  cable 
editor  here,  Mr.  James  Langland,  served  abroad  for  years  and 
his  foreign  training  has  proved  of  inestimable  value  to  him." 

"How  do  you  pick  your  men?"  Mr.  Lawson  was  asked. 

"They  are  good  reporters,"  he  shot  back.  "Most  of  them  are 
college  men,  but  they  are  selected  first  for  their  ability  to  get  the 
news  and  write  it  intelUgently.  Mr.  Bell  was  a  star  reporter  on 
our  staff  here  before  we  sent  him  abroad.  Before  that  he  was 
managing  editor  of  a  paper  in  Terre  Haute  and  even  before  his 
graduation  from  Wabash  College  had  proved  himself  an  able 
correspondent  in  covering  a  big  railroad  strike.  Paul  Scott 
Mowrer,  of  our  Paris  Bureau,  is  another  man  who  received  his 
training  on  our  local  staff  here.  Raymond  E.  Swing,  Berlin 
correspondent,  had  his  early  training  on  newspapers  in  Cleveland, 
Indianapolis,  and  Cincinnati.  And  so  on  down  the  line.  Some 
of  them  came  up  through  the  ranks  in  the  foreign  bureaus,  but 
the  backbone  of  our  foreign  service  is  made  up  of  good  American 
reporters. 

"So  when  August,  1914,  came  along  we  had  a  well-equipped 
foreign  news  service  composed  of  thoroughly  trained  men,  good 
reporters  aiid  good  writers  all  of  them. 

"We  sent  E.  Percy  Noel  abroad  for  the  special  purpose  of 
dealing  with  the  work  of  military  and  naval  aviators.  His  work 
requires  much  technical  knowledge  and  intimate  association  with 
the  great  war  aviators  and  he  stands  unrivaled  in  this  field.  No 
other  paper  has  had  such  full  reports  of  the  astonishing  develop- 
ment of  this  arm  of  the  service.  Then  we  have  John  F.  Bass, 
one  of  the  most  widely  experienced  of  war  correspondents.  He 
is  a  lawyer,  a  man  of  independent  means,  but  loves  the  adventure 
and  excitement  of  the  life  of  a  war  correspondent.  Mr.  Bass, 
representing  The  News,  accompanied  General  Kuroki's  army  from 
the  crossing  of  the  Yalu  River  up  to  the  great  battles  in  the  heart 
of  Manchuria.    His  description  of  the  battle  of  Liaoyang  I  cQU- 


148        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

sider  one  of  the  greatest  of  modem  war  stories.  Mr.  Bell  recently 
has  added  two  men  to  our  London  staff.  One  is  John  Buchan, 
who  has  been  appointed  war  historian  by  the  British  Government. 
We  have  obtained  the  exclusive  American  rights  for  his  articles. 
The  other  is  Robert  Sloss." 

Mr.  Lawson  might  have  gone  on  mentioning  about  twenty- 
five  other  names,  all  of  them  of  persons  who  have  accompUshed 
big  things  in  the  newspaper  and  magazine  games.  On  the  Eastern 
front  with  the  German  forces  is  Oswald  F.  Schuette,  who  was 
successively  a  member  of  the  staff  of  The  Milwaukee  Sentinel, 
city  editor  of  The  Evening  Wisconsin  of  Milwaukee,  Washington 
correspondent  of  The  Chicago  Inter-Ocean  and  a  political  writer 
for  Leslie's  Weekly.  At  Rome  there  is  Edgar  Ansel  Mowrer, 
brother  of  the  Paris  correspondent,  who  before  Italy  entered  the 
war  did  good  work  along  the  fighting  line  in  Flanders  and  sent 
vivid  descriptions  of  the  famine  in  Belgium  before  the  American 
reUef  work  had  been  organized. 

At  Petrograd  there  are  Warlam  Tcherkesoff,  long  identified 
with  the  progressive  reform  movement  in  Russia,  and  Bassett 
Digby,  who  received  his  early  training  in  the  London  Bureau 
and  later  served  as  a  member  of  the  staff  of  The  New  York  Tribune. 
Mr.  Digby  was  preparing  for  a  trip  of  exploration  among  the  little- 
known  tribes  in  Siberia  within  the  arctic  circle  when  war  was 
declared.  He  hurried  back  and  described  the  mobilization  of  the 
Czar's  Siberian  forces. 

Stories  from  the  west  front  in  France  have  been  sent  in  by 
A.  R.  Decker,  a  young  American  engineer  who,  from  the  beginning 
of  the  war  until  last  December,  was  under  fire  of  the  German  guns 
in  Pont-^-Mousson,  where  he  described  the  daily  life  of  the  soldiers. 
The  doings  of  the  Americans  in  the  French  army  are  reported  by 
Paul  Rockwell,  who,  until  he  was  woimded,  fought  as  a  memb^ 
of  the  French  Foreign  Legion. 

Percival  Gibbon,  well-known  author,  traveler,  and  war  corre- 
spondent, is  with  the  Russian  army  on  the  east  front.  At  the 
time  he  joined  the  staff  of  The  News  Mr.  Gibbon  was  corre- 
spondent for  the  London  Chronicle.  Now  The  Chronicle  buys  his 
stories  from  The  News. 

With  the  British  army  in  the  Far  East  is  Louis  Edgar  Browne, 
a  graduate  of  the  United  States  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis 
and  later  an  instructor  of  officers  in  the  Greek  navy.  At  Bern, 
Switzerland,  is  Leo  J.  Frankenthal,  who  has  written  many  widely 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        149 

read  criticisms  of  the  initiative  and  referendum  and  the  workings 
of  other  institutions  in  the  Mountain  RepubHc.  Another  corre- 
spondent now  in  Switzerland  is  Rene  Arcos,  a  gifted  young  French 
poet  who  has  contributed  stories  on  the  intellectual  side  of  the 
war  and  on  the  deeds  and  emotions  of  the  soldiers  of  France. 
The  victorious  campaign  of  the  Bulgarians  in  Servia  was  covered 
ably  by  Constantine  Stephanove,  professor  of  English  at  the 
University  of  Sofia. 

Lars  Lea,  at  Bergen,  and  Peter  Daae,  at  Christiania,  have 
written  on  the  war  as  it  touches  the  commerce  of  the  Scandinavian 
countries.  At  Stockholm  are  Hjalmal  Limdberg  and  Edwin 
Bjorkman,  well-known  authors.  Holger  R.  Angelo  represents 
The  News  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  and  Rene  H.  Feibelman 
writes  from  Amsterdam.  Then  there  are  W.  L.  Manson,  for 
many  years  correspondent  for  The  News  at  Glasgow,  Scotland; 
John  McBride  at  Belfast,  Ireland,  and  William  H.  Brayden  at 
DubHn.  From  The  Hague  have  come  stories  from  Miss  W.  J.  L. 
Kiehl.  The  part  Italy  played  in  the  struggle  has  been  graphically 
told  by  Tancred  Zanghieri  at  Milan. 

In  the  Far  East,  besides  Mr.  Browne,  are  Ernest  W.  Clement, 
of  Tokio,  Japan,  author  of  many  books  on  the  Japanese  and  a 
resident  of  the  Flowery  Kingdom  since  1889;  Percy  R.  Meggy, 
at  Sydney,  Australia,  and  William  R.  Giles,  at  Peking,  China. 
Mr.  Giles  covered  in  detail  the  Japanese  conquest  of  Japan  upon 
the  integrity  of  China.  Anthony  Czamecki  wrote  of  conditions 
as  he  found  them  in  the  province  of  Posen  in  GaHcia  and  that 
part  of  Russian  Poland  held  by  the  Austrians. 

One  instance  in  which  the  London  papers  were  compelled  to 
turn  to  Chicago  for  their  news  was  when  Louis  Edgar  Browne 
covered  the  heroic  last  battles  and  terrible  march  of  the  Serbs 
in  their  retreat  through  the  mountains  of  Albania.  Mr.  Browne 
was  the  only  correspondent  of  any  nationality  with  the  retreating 
army.  For  seven  weeks  no  word  came  from  him.  Even  the 
London  Bureau  had  no  hint  of  where  he  was. 

He  succeeded  in  getting  passage  on  a  transport,  but  it  was  com- 
pelled to  run  back  because  of  the  presence  of  Austrian  submarines. 
Finally  he  reached  Rome,  the  nearest  point  from  which  he  could 
get  his  cable  through  to  Chicago.  As  soon  as  his  first  brief 
message  reached  The  News,  Mr.  Lawson  sensed  the  magnitude 
of  the  beat  and  instructed  him  to  send  the  story  in  detail  by  cable 
and  not  to  spare  tolls.    It  came  at  the  rate  of  2,000  and  3,000 


150        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

words  a  day,  a  startling  page  from  history,  a  blinding  chapter 
exclusively  in  the  possession  of  the  one  English-speaking  man  who 
could  properly  transmit  it  to  the  world. 

London  had  been  getting  only  the  most  meager  reports  from  the 
vanquished  but  valiant  Serbian  army.  Lord  Northcliffe  wanted 
the  story  for  his  papers.  The  Times  and  The  Mail.  There  was 
only  one  way  to  get  it.  He  cabled  Fred  Bullock,  his  New  York 
representative,  and  instructed  him  to  go  after  it.  Bullock  wired 
H.  Percye  Millar,  Chicago  representative  of  The  New  York  Times, 
to  buy  the  British  rights.     Mr.  Lawson  consented. 

The  stories  came  by  land  wire,  cable,  and  land  wire  again  from 
Rome  to  Chicago.  Then  they  were  sent  back  word  for  word  by 
land  wire  to  New  York,  thence  under  the  sea  to  Ireland,  and  from 
there  by  cable  and  wire  to  London.  Northcliffe  beat  Europe  with 
one  of  the  biggest  and  most  graphic  stories  of  the  war,  but  before 
that  Louis  Edgar  Browne  had  enabled  Victor  Lawson  to  beat 
the  world. 

"Our  men  have  many  notable  achievements  to  their  credit," 
said  Mr.  Lawson,  with  a  glow  of  pride.  "Mr.  Bell  has  given  more 
accurate  and  intelligent  information  in  regard  to  the  diplomatic  side 
of  the  war  than  has  any  other  correspondent.  His  celebrated  inter- 
view with  Lord  Haldane,  then  a  member  of  the  British  Cabinet, 
in  which  interview  his  lordship  first  told  the  story  of  his  memorable 
visit  to  Berlin  in  the  interest  of  peace,  has  been  circulated  by  the 
htmdreds  of  thousands  of  copies  and  has  been  a  source  of  contro- 
versy in  Germany  ever  since  its  first  publication.  His  later 
interview  with  Walter  Runciman,  president  of  the  British  Board 
of  Trade,  on  the  financial  position  of  Great  Britain  as  compared 
with  that  of  Germany,  has  been  even  more  widely  copied. 

"While  all  the  world  was  marveling  at  the  almost  incredible 
rapidity  with  which  the  forts  of  Li6ge  and  Namur  had  been 
destroyed  and  was  even  hinting  at  treachery  on  the  part  of  the 
defenders,  Raymond  E.  Swing  cabled  a  full  description  of  the 
great  4  2 -centimeter  howitzers  and  how  they  had  accomplished 
their  work  of  demolition.  It  was  the  public's  first  knowledge  of 
the  huge  guns  which  since  have  blown  up  such  great  fortresses 
as  Antwerp,  Maubeuge,  and  Novogeorievsk.  Mr.  Digby,  hurry- 
ing back  from  remote  Siberia,  first  made  it  known  that  Japanese 
cannon  and  Japanese  gunners  were  with  the  Russian  armies  on 
the  German  frontier. 

"And  then  there  was  that  other  story  by  Louis  Edgar  Browne 


NEWSPAPER, BUILDING        151 

which  would  have  been  the  biggest  beat  of  the  war  had  a  certain 
EngHsh  commander  carried  out  his  instructions.  His  despatches 
from  the  eastern  Mediterranean  were  all  vivid,  faithful  accounts 
of  operations  against  the  Turks.  Then  came  Gallipoli,  and  his 
remarkable  description  of  the  landing  of  the  British  forces  at 
Suvla  Bay  and  Anzac.  If  you  remember,  it  was  in  that  despatch 
that  he  told  that  the  British  forces  had  crossed  the  peninsula  and 
had  met.  The  main  Turkish  force  was  cut  off  and  the  way  lay 
open  to  Constantinople,  the  fall  of  which  was  a  matter  of  only  a 
few  days.  Not  a  paper  had  had  a  word  of  this.  It  was  a  great 
story.  But  later  developments  showed  the  English  forces  had 
not  crossed  the  peninsula  and  had  not  met  as  he  described.  The 
Turks  were  not  cut  off.  It  was  the  first  time  during  the  war  that 
we  had  gone  wrong  on  any  important  fact.  I  wanted  to  know 
why.    I  cabled  Browne  for  a  full  explanation. 

"Our  investigation  disclosed  that  Browne  had  been  correct  in 
every  detail.  He  had  obtained  his  facts  from  the  highest  British 
authorities,  who  had  every  reason  to  beHeve  they  were  correct. 
It  seems  that  the  British  commander  when  he  landed  with  his 
forces  at  Suvla  had  instructions  to  proceed  directly  across  the 
peninsula.  Instead  of  doing  this  he  waited  on  the  shores  for 
thirty-six  hours.  That  delay  gave  the  Turks  time  to  prepare,  and 
when  the  time  came  to  advance  the  British  troops  found  too 
stubborn  a  resistance  awaiting  them.  But  for  that  blunder  the 
whole  course  of  the  war  in  the  East  might  have  been  changed." 

The  cost  of  The  News  foreign  service  is  not  considered  by  Mr. 
Lawson  when  news  is  to  be  had.  He  has  paid  $940  cable  tolls 
for  the  briefest  despatch  from  the  Far  East. 

"When  the  war  came  we  felt  that  it  was  probably  the  biggest 
story  we  should  ever  be  called  upon  to  cover  and  we  decided  to 
spare  no  money  or  men  to  see  that  it  was  covered  in  every  illumin- 
ating detail  and  phase.  Last  year  our  special  foreign  service  cost 
$148,000.  This  year  it  will  cost  more,  about  $160,000,  or  possibly 
$170,000.  Our  weekly  expense  runs  around  $3,000,  sometimes  a 
little  less,  but  often  more." 

Mr.  Lawson,  who  is  a  director  of  the  Associated  Press,  then 
chucklingly  related  how  one  of  his  correspondents  had  scooped 
the  A.  P.  on  an  important  story. 

"As  a  director  of  the  Associated  Press,"  he  said,  "it  was  of 
course  my  duty  to  investigate  and  see  why  the  Associated  Press 
had  fallen  down  on  this  piece  of  news.    We  found  that  my  man 

ID 


IS2        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

and  the  Associated  Press  man  had  obtained  the  story  at  exactly 
the  same  time.  The  censors  let  our  correspondent's  despatch 
through  and  held  up  the  Associated  Press  despatch  for  five  days. 
We  were  very  much  put  out  that  this  was  the  case,  but  as  long  as 
one  paper  obtained  a  beat  on  the  story,  I  was  glad  that  that 
paper  happened  to  be  my  own." 

When  Miss  Jane  Addams,  who  presided  at  the  Women's  Peace 
Congress  at  The  Hague,  sought  an  interview  with  the  German 
Chancellor,  von  Bethmann-Hollweg,  in  Berlin,  it  was  Oswald 
Schuette  who  obtained  it  for  her. 

"Your  men  are  everywhere,'*  she  told  Mr.  Lawson  upon  her 
return.  "I  met  Mr.  Bell  in  London  and  Paul  Scott  Mowrer  in 
Paris.  When  we  reached  Rome  there  we  found  Edgar  Mowrer 
awaiting  us.  They  were  all  helpful.  The  Daily  News  has  a 
right  to  be  proud  of  its  foreign  service." 


XIX 
Know  Your  Readers 

Inquiry  of  many  newspaper  editors  and  publishers 
in  various  cities  shows  that  few  of  them  operate  as 
effectively  as  they  might.  There  is  too  general  an 
inclination  to  let  well  enough  alone,  to  match  up  the 
other  fellow,  or  try  everything  that  offers.  When 
asked  why  they  don't  get  frequent  expressions  of 
opinion  from  their  readers,  they  say  they  can't,  don't 
want  to,  or  that  a  request  for  such  information  would 
be  undignified.  The  man  who  knows  how,  and 
operates  in  the  light  of  definite  facts  in  place  of  the 
way  he  feels,  has  an  almost  free  field  for  attaining  great 
success.  The  chances  are  that  the  dreamer  will  not 
wake  up  until  the  other  man  has  arrived. 

This  took  place  in  New  York  in  1883,  when  Joseph 
Pulitzer  broke  through  the  conventions  with  The 
World,  and  again  in  1896,  when  Adolph  S.  Ochs  and 
William  R.  Hearst  forced  their  way  to  the  front. 

The  old,  straight -line  newspapers  continued  in  their 
dreams  of  the  great  good- will  values  they  represented, 
and  laughed  at  the  antics  of  the  new-comers.  But, 
as  results  have  proven,  the  new  arrivals  had  a  better 
knowledge  of  what  the  people  wanted.  Good  old 
properties,  which  for  years  had  been  dividend-payers, 
dropped  into  the  discard  and  red-ink  class,  simply 
because  they  were  so  obsessed  with  their  own  idea  of 


154        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

their  own  importance  and  leadership  that  they  were 
not  human.  For  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  exactly 
where  he  stands,  I  know  of  no  process  more  definite 
than  the  form  we  have  used  at  different  times  on  The 
Globe,  and  which  on  my  suggestion  has  been  used  by 
many  other  newspapers,  as  follows: 

Are  you  reading  The  Glohe^s  serial  story? 

If  so,  how  do  you  like  it? 

If  not,  why  not? 

Do  you  consider  the  continued  (serial)  story  a  desirable  news- 
paper feature? Why? 

Do  you  read  the  woman's  page? Do  you  consider  it 

good,  bad,  or  indifferent? Why? 

Do  you  like  Edna  K.  Wooley? Why? 

Do  you  like  American  Fashions? . . .  .Why? 

Do  you  like  a  Batch  of  Smiles? Why? 

Do  you  read  Dr.  Crane? What  is  your  estimate  of 

his  essays? 

What  do  you  think  of  Walt  Mason's  rhymed  proses? 

Do  you  laugh  at  Hank  and  Knobs? 

Do  the  editorial  articles  interest  you? 

Could  you  suggest  improvements? 

Do  you  like  the  Evening  Story? 

Do  the  Little  Stories  for  Bedtime  interest  you? 

Do  we  print  enough  Sport  News? 

Do  you  like  Famous  Women  in  History? 

Do  you  like  our  cartoons? Which? 

Name  the  Best,  In  your  Opinion,  of  all  the  Features  Listed  Above. . . 

Remarks: 


Signed. . 
Address 


This  form,  printed  on  letter  size  paper,  mailed  to 
500  or  1,000  readers  in  different  sections  from  time 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING         155 

to  time,  with  a  courteous  note  explaining  why  the 
information  is  wanted  and  with  a  stamped  return 
envelope,  provides  the  very  sort  of  a  symptom  blank 
that  a  doctor  would  require  before  making  a  diagnosis 
and  deciding  on  a  treatment. 

In  the  case  of  newspapers  with  direct  subscription 
relations,  the  sending  out  of  a  few  hundred  such  forms 
this  month  in  one  district,  and  next  month  in  another, 
would  not  be  expensive,  and  the  editor  and  publisher 
could  operate  in  the  light  of  exact  knowledge.  Occa- 
sional invitations  for  readers  to  suggest  new  depart- 
ments and  features  are  a  mighty  good  thing.  Small 
weekly  prizes  for  the  best  suggestions  from  employees 
have  often  produced  ideas  of  value.  Our  department 
heads  and  executives  are  often  too  well  satisfied  with 
present  conditions  to  think  of  new  ideas,  and  very 
reluctant  to  recognize  the  value  of  a  suggestion  from  a 
subordinate.  Our  newspapers  are  seldom  50  per 
cent,  effective  in  editorial  ability  to  give  the  people  the 
best  thing  obtainable  on  any  day.  Our  editors  too 
often  are  more  inclined  to  let  things  drift  than  to 
dig  every  day  and  select  and  present  only  the  best. 

By  one  process  or  another  secure  your  readers' 
appraisal  of  your  goods.  In  the  long  run  your  goods 
must  be  "  right. '*  Your  readers  do  not  want  to  make 
the  newspaper,  but  you  want  to  know  whether  the 
stuff  you  are  putting  out  has  the  right  appeal. 


XX 

Ratio  of  Reading  to  Advertising 

Until  very  lately  our  newspapers  were  conducted 
probably  more  loosely  regarding  extravagance  in  the 
waste  of  print  paper  than  most  of  us  realized  until 
brought  sharply  up  against  the  conditions  of  the  high 
cost  of  print  paper  in  191 6  and  191 7. 

Investigations  all  the  way  across  the  country  a  few 
years  ago  showed  that  many  publishers  were  operating 
on  the  basis  of  ''fifty-fifty,"  by  which  was  meant  50 
per  cent,  reading  matter  and  50  per  cent,  advertising. 
Others  *' forty-sixty,"  some  *' thirty-five-sixty-five." 

After  carefully  checking  up  best  newspaper  ex- 
perience in  the  case  of  successful  properties,  I  figured 
out  that  the  sane  solution  of  the  problem  was  to  hit 
upon  a  fixed  standard  of  reading  matter  and  then  let 
the  advertising  make  the  paper  as  large  as  it  would. 
I  found  some  newspapers  in  medium  sized  cities 
getting  away  with  as  little  as  from  thirty-eight  to 
forty  columns  of  reading  matter,  with  most  successful 
papers  in  larger  towns,  constantly  growing  in  circula- 
tion, giving  only  from  fifty-five  to  sixty-five  columns 
of  reading  matter. 

By  reading  matter  I  mean  everything  except 
advertising. 

With  this  experience  in  mind  and  the  adoption  of 
the  sixty-column  standard  we  saved  nearly  $50,000 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        157 

in  paper  cost  on  The  New  York  Globe  during  191 5. 
With  the  paper  famine  and  higher  costs  of  191 7  we 
have  made  a  still  further  reduction  in  reading  matter 
with  a  variation  from  forty-five  to  fifty-five  columns. 

The  results  of  this  economy  are  clearly  shown. 
The  figures,  taken  at  random,  show  how  much  more 
advertising  we  have  been  able  to  get  into  less  pages. 
For  example,  in  the  first  week  illustrated  below,  we 
printed  sixty-two  more  columns  of  advertising  in 
seven  less  pages  printed  for  the  week,  as  compared 
with  the  previous  year. 

Reading  matter  was  cut  down  118  columns,  which 
meant  about  twenty  columns,  or  more  than  two  pages, 
of  reading  eliminated  in  every  issue.  The  average 
circulation  during  this  week  was  174,000  in  191 6, 
while  it  was  over  200,000  in  191 7.  By  this  economy 
we  had  very  materially  reduced  paper  consumption 
and  still  satisfied  the  reader. 

In  connection  with  this  detail  of  proved  economy 
and  efficiency,  I  present  a  table  showing  the  applica- 
tion of  what  I  have  termed  the  sixty-column  standard 
to  seven  and  eight-column  newspapers. 


Comparison  of  Advertising  and  Reading 

Week  Ended  Week  Ended  Week  Ended 

Feb. II, 1915  Feb. lo, 1916  Feb.  8,  1917 

No.  Cols.  Adv 274  296  358 

No.  Cols.  Reading..         429  479  361 

No.  Pages 88  97  90 

Week  Ended  Week  Ended  Week  Ended 

Feb.  4,  1915  Feb.  3,  1916  Feb.  i,  1917 

No.  Cols.  Adv 238  289  297 

No.  Cols.  Reading  . .         465  447  343 

No.  Pages 88  92  80 


iS8         NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

Comparison  of  Advertising  and  Reading — Continued 

Week  Ended  Week  Ended  Week  Ended 

Jan.  21,  1915  Jan.  20,  1916  Jan.  18,  1917 

No.  Cols.  Adv 282  342  344 

No.  Cols.  Reading  . .  518  474  328 

No.  Pages 100  102  84 

Week  Ended  Week  Ended  Week  Ended 

Nov.  19^  1914  Nov.  18, 1915  Nov.  16, 1916 

No.  Cols.  Adv 299  393  395 

No.  Cols.  Reading  . .         516  407  341 

No.  Pages 102  100  92 

Week  Ended  Week  Ended  Week  Ended 

Oct.  29,  1914  Oct.  28,  1915  Oct.  26,  1916 

No.  Cols.  Adv 327  385  387 

No.  Cols.  Reading  . .         457  421  333 

No.  Pages 98  102  90 

In  order  to  apply  the  same  principle  where  you 
desire  to  limit  reading  matter  to,  say,  forty-five 
columns,  make  up  a  sheet  like  the  sample,  putting  the 
figure  forty-five  down  the  column  where  fifty-six  or 
sixty  is  shown,  and  make  up  the  other  columns  by 
adcHng  the  remaining  number  of  columns  left  in  the 
different  size  newspapers. 

Broad  experience  seems  to  indicate  that  intelligent 
condensation  does  not  injure  circulation,  while  there 
are  many  well-authenticated  proofs  of  unsuccess  in 
circulation  effort  where  tremendous  bulk  of  reading 
matter  was  offered  the  public. 

Columns  of  Reading  as  Regulating  Size  of  Paper 

7-Colunin  Newspaper                  Normal  Go  to 

Pages      Columns  Reading  Advertising  Next  Size 

Total  Columns    Colimms  Colimms 

zo               70                    52               18  20 

Z3              84                   56              28  30 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        159 

Columns  of  Reading  as  Regulating  Size  of  Paper — Con. 


7-Column 

Newspaper 

Nor 

mal 

Go  to 

Pages 

Columns 

Reading  Advertising 

Next  Size  ^ 

Total 

Columns 

Columns 

Columns 

14 

98 

56 

42 

44 

16 

112 

56 

56 

58 

18 

126 

56 

70 

72 

20 

140 

56 

84 

86 

22 

154 

56 

98 

100 

24 

168 

56 

112 

114 

8-Column 

Newspaper 

Normal 

Goto 

Pages 

Columns 

Reading  Advertising 

Next  Size 

Total 

Columns 

Columns 

Coliuims 

10 

80 

60 

20 

24 

12 

96 

60 

36 

40 

14 

112 

60 

52 

56 

16 

128 

60 

68 

72 

18 

144 

60 

84 

88 

20 

160 

60 

100 

104 

22 

176 

60 

116 

120 

24 

192 

60 

132 

136 

1  The  theory  is  to  figure  the  cost  of  adding  extra  pages  and  to 
cover  such  extra  cost  by  adding  two  to  four  columns  of  additional 
advertising  before  going  up.  For  instance,  if  it  costs  $50.00  to  add 
the  two  pages  and  your  column  rate  is  $25.00,  don't  go  up  until  you 
have  two  full  columns  over  the  normal  standard. 


PART  IV 

The  Plant 

The  Factory  Idea — Model  Arrangement- — 
Mechanical  Economies — The  Pamper  Problem 


XXI 

Location  and  Layout 

Wide  observation  of  newspaper  conditions  through- 
out the  country  convinced  me  that  the  centrally 
located  plant  at  the  business  center  of  the  city  is  a 
radical  mistake  and  inflicts  an  unnecessary  and  un- 
justifiable handicap  on  the  business.  fThe  news- 
paper plant  is  a  factory  and  should  be  handled  as 
such.) 

In  191 1,  when  The  Globe  was  compelled  to  seek 
larger  quarters,  we  looked  around  for  some  cheap 
piece  of  property  where  we  could  install  our  equip- 
ment and  produce  the  newspaper  on  a  factory  basis. 
We  found  what  we  wanted  in  the  shape  of  a  three- 
story  building  which  had  been  used  as  a  freight  depot 
for  a  local  express  company  run  in  connection  with 
the  trolley  system.  We  moved  from  a  cramped  site 
near  Broadway,  worth  better  than  one  million  dollars, 
to  one  having  15,000  feet  of  floor  space  per  floor  and 
worth  less  than  one-tenth  of  the  other's  value.  The 
twenty-five  feet  between  floor  and  ceiling  that  formerly 
permitted  trolley  cars  to  run  through  the  building 
provided  abundant  head  room  for  our  presses,  all  of 
which  were  erected  on  the  ground  floor  in  plain  sight 
of  the  passers-by. 

Our  side-street  factory  has  been  studied  by  news- 
paper-owners from  other  cities  who  are  now  seriously 


i64        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

considering  saving  the  heavy  extra  expense  involved 
in  keeping  their  plants  at  the  heart  of  things,  as  it 
were.  The  trifling  added  expense  for  delivery  from 
the  off-center  factory  is  but  a  small  item  in  comparison 
with  the  increased  efficiencies  and  elbow-room  secured. 
The  people  who  read  a  newspaper  don't  stop  to  think 
where  it  is  made.  I  am  firmly  of  the  opinion  that 
centrally  located  offices,  with  elaborate  bulletin- 
boards,  reduce,  sales  rather  than  increase  them. 
Numbers  of  people  will  dash  up  to  a  bulletin-board 
and  get  all  the  information  they  want,  who  would 
not  have  the  courage  to  take  up  a  newspaper  from 
a  newsboy  merely  to  glance  at  the  head-lines.  No 
factories  that  I  know  of,  except  newspaper  factories, 
seek  out  the  most  expensive  comers.  But  the  fashion 
of  proving  one's  success  by  putting  up  an  expensive 
and  sumptuous  building  in  a  show  street  is  going  out. 
Advertisers  are  seriously  considering  that  advertising 
rates  that  justify  such  profligacy  are  too  high. 

I  have  gone  over  this  matter  with  newspaper- 
owners  of  many  of  our  larger  cities,  and  reached  an 
agreement  in  most  cases  that  (the  ideal  and  most 
effective  basis  would  be  to  have  a  plant  where  property 
is  cheap,  where  a  two-  or  three-story  building  can 
spread  out  and  permit  of  proper  relation  of  depart- 
ments, often  lost  where  stair-climbing  and  elevator 
service  intervene,)  Such  a  plant,  in  pneumatic  tube 
and  telephonic  communication  with  a  small,  centrally 
located  counting-room,  at  the  center  of  the  city's 
activity,  would  save  many  dollars  to  many  newspapers 
every  year.  Additional  branch  offices  may  be  set  up 
at  as  many  points  as  is  desired  far  below  the  present 
cost  of  doing  business. 

Because  many  of  our  most  successful  newspapers 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        165 

:tep  eCOUND    FLOOR, 


FLOOR  PLANS  OF   NEW  YORK  GLOBE  PLANT 


i66        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

have  done  this  and  are  doing  it  doesn't  prove  a  thing. 
Expensive  and  efficient  machinery  huddled  between 
the  columns  of  a  high  office  building,  with  hardly 
enough  room  about  them  for  the  men  to  work  it  up 
to  50  per  cent,  of  its  capacity,  and  other  departments 
scattered  on  various  floors  throughout  the  building 
without  a  chance  for  co-operative  effort,  bring  wasteful 
and  poor  business.  Increased  competition  and  largely 
increased  costs,  which  are  daily  bringing  the  possible 
margin  of  profit  closer  to  the  red-ink  side,  make  it 
imperative  that  expense  be  held  down  wherever  this 
can  be  done. 

We  shall  now  consider  the  arrangement  and  distribu- 
tion of  equipment  and  departments  in  The  New  York 
Globe  building,  which,  in  my  opinion,  after  examining 
nearly  all  the  larger  plants,  represents  the  most 
economically  balanced  newspaper  factory  in  the 
country.  There  are  several  larger  and  probably 
better  equipped,  but  I  have  never  seen  one  in  which 
a  newspaper  of  large  circulation  could  be  more 
economically  produced. 

As  previously  stated,  we  have  15,000  feet  of  floor 
space  per  floor.  The  entire  ground-floor  is  devoted 
to  the  printing  presses,  stereotyping  foundry,  delivery 
room,  and  storage,  with  the  exception  of  a  ten-by-ten 
corner  office  for  the  receipt  of  advertisements  and 
sale  of  newspapers.  The  rough  sketch  on  the  pre- 
ceding page  shows  the  three  floors. 

As  will  be  seen,  the  printing  presses  are  arranged 
so  that  the  printed  papers  can  be  thrown  directly 
through  windows  opening  on  to  the  counter  in  the 
delivery  room.  The  delivery  room,  occupying  part 
of  the  street  front,  enables  the  circulation  department 
to  deliver  the  printed  papers  and  mail  packages 


\ 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING         167 

directly  to  the  waiting  automobiles  and  wagons  at 
the  curb,  a  few  feet  away. 

The  stereotyping  foundry  is  placed  immediately 
under  a  chute  from  the  molding  room  above,  through 
which  the  mat  drops  by  gravity  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  Double  Junior  Autoplate  Machine.  The  shaving 
machine  in  real  life  extends  well  out  into  the  middle 
of  the  press  room,  where  the  pressmen  can  get  the 
plates  and,  with  only  a  very  short  carry,  lock  them 
on  the  five  presses. 

Referring  to  the  plan  of  the  second-floor,  let  us 
look  at  the  composing  room  first,  at  the  right-hand 
end  of  the  floor  and  extending  around  back  of  the 
city  room.  Along  the  fronts  are  type-setting  ma- 
chines. These  are  all  Intertype  and  Mergenthaler 
multi-magazine  machines,  placed  for  the  most  ad- 
vantageous use  of  the  light. 

About  half-way  back  at  the  right  end  are  the 
matrix  tables,  originally  equipped  to  be  heated  by 
electricity,  but  now  by  steam.  Still  farther  back 
and  immediately  alongside  the  doorway  is  the  top 
of  the  matrix-chute  to  the  foundry  on  the  floor  below. 
Along  the  back  wall  are  the  cases  of  display  type  or 
advertising  alley.  The  center  of  the  room  is  occupied 
by  make-up  tables,  banks,  and  form  trucks.  Every- 
thing works  toward  the  center  of  the  room  and  finally 
down  to  the  matrix  table  and  chute  to  the  foundry 
below.  There  is  no  lost  motion,  turning  back,  or 
elevators  or  carrier  systems. 

Now  for  the  news  room  at  the  left  front.  At  the 
square  desk  in  the  comer  sits  the  managing  editor. 
Immediately  at  the  low  gate  sits  the  city  editor,  and 
at  his  right,  at  a  semicircular  desk,  are  the  copy- 
readers.     Occupying  nearly  all  of  the  middle  of  the 


i68        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

room  are  desks  for  reporters,  with  telephone  connec- 
tion and  typewriter  equipment.  In  the  right-hand 
front  comer  Associated  Press  news  comes  in  over 
machines  and  telephone  booths,  while  at  the  back  end 
of  the  room  are  the  telegraphers.  At  the  rear  left- 
hand  comer  of  the  building  is  the  office  of  the  superin- 
tendent of  circulation. 

Viewed  in  the  large,  this  gives  us  great  manufac- 
turing efficiency.  The  newspaper  is  created  in  the 
news  room,  with  the  circulation  manager  near  at 
hand  for  instant  conference.  The  copy  is  shot  through 
the  door  to  the  copy  desk  just  the  other  side  of  the 
fire-wall,  where  it  is  rushed  into  type,  finds  its  way 
to  the  forms  at  the  center  of  the  room,  and  thence  to 
the  matrix  table,  foundry,  presses,  delivery  room,  and 
wagons. 

It  is  a  straight-line  positive  movement  from  one 
comer  of  the  building  almost  to  the  far  back  corner 
and  then  back  toward  the  front  corner  again.  No 
hoists  or  carriers  are  required — short  carries  and 
gravity,  the  most  positive  of  forces,  do  the  rest. 
We  have  now  very  briefly  surveyed  the  mechanical 
departments  or  newspaper  factory  end  of  the  plant, 
and  will  step  up-stairs  where  the  executive  and  mis- 
cellaneous departments  are  housed. 

Referring  to  the  plan  of  the  third  story,  we  will 
again  start  with  the  room  at  the  right-hand  end  of  the 
picture.  This  was  originally  designed  to  be  one  large 
room  with  as  many  desks  as  required  to  care  for 
miscellaneous  writers.  Later  on  the  advertising  de- 
partment was  given  the  back  end  of  the  room  behind 
a  seven  foot  partition,  and  several  other  groups  of 
special  departments  got  cubby-holes. 

Along  the  front  left-hand  comer  are  the  executive 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        169 

officers  and  editorial  writers.  A  small  library  is  in 
front  of  these  offices,  while  the  cashier  and  book- 
keepers  occupy  the  remainder  of  the  room.  I  have 
now  shown  you  a  newspaper  factory  where  every- 
thing is  sacrificed  to  the  economical  and  efficient 
production  of  the  newspaper.  All  of  the  usual  store 
front  is  given  to  delivery  room  and  press  room,  with 
the  next  most  accessible  space  devoted  to  the  depart- 
ments next  most  essential  in  the  rapid  production  of 
a  newspaper.  We  figure  that  any  one  seeking  the 
cashier  or  any  of  the  departments  on  the  upper  floors 
wants  something  and  will  walk  up.  We  have  no 
elevators  in  The  Globe  building.  No  office  time  is  lost 
in  walking  up  or  down  stairs,  as  all  related  depart- 
ments are  immediately  in  touch  with  one  another. 

If  laying  out  a  plant  for  a  newspaper  in  a  smaller 
city  I  should  follow  the  general  idea  we  have  carried 
out  in  The  Globe  office.  I  should  use  three  connected 
floors,  putting  the  press  and  delivery  rooms  and  stereo- 
type foundry  on  the  ground  or  street-level  floor;  the 
composing,  news,  and  circulation  department  rooms 
on  the  second,  and  the  other  departments  on  the  third.) 
In  case  the  factory  idea  is  carried  out  in  connection 
with  a  small  centrally  located  office,  the  advertising 
and  bookkeeping  end  could  be  housed  there,  but  I 
think  it  best,  after  our  experience,  to  hold  the  entire 
force  as  close  to  the  smell  of  printer's  ink  as  possible. 
Somehow  when  men  get  out  of  touch  and  sympathy 
they  lose  efficiency. 


XXII 

Press  and  Stereotyping  Equipment 

In  giving  a  mere  passing  glance  at  some  of  the 
leading  types  of  printing-presses,  merely  as  a  sug- 
gestion to  enable  those  at  distant  points  to  select  a 
given  style  for  further  investigation,  I  shall  start 
with  simple  ones  first  and  then  advance  to  the  giants 
for  metropolitan  use. 

For  the  small  daily  or  a  progressive  weekly  I  have 
never  heard  of  anything  superior  to  the  new  Duplex 
Flatbed  Press,  Model  "A,"  which  will  print  four-,  six-, 
and  eight-page  papers,  printed,  cut,  and  folded,  at 
from  3,000  to  3,500  per  hour.  Printing  from  roll 
paper,  which  can  be  bought  at  lower  prices  than  flat, 
with  lower  waste  in  operation,  this  machine  is  cheaper 
to  operate  than  a  press  using  flat  paper.  On  the  floor 
it  occupies  11  feet  g}i  inches  by  7  feet,  with  over- 
all measurements  14  feet  4  inches  by  10  feet.^  For 
further  information  address  Duplex  Printing  Press 
Co.,  Battle  Creek,  Michigan. 

For  smaller  dailies  requiring  the  production  of 
larger  newspapers  or  larger  editions  the  Duplex 
Tubular-Plate  Press  seems  to  me  to  provide  the  ideal 
equipment.  The  speed  of  this  press  is  30,000  per 
hour  of  4-,  6-,  8-,  10-,  12-,  14-,  or  16-page  papers. 

The  tubular-plate  press  represents  a  new  departure 
in  construction,  in  contrast  with  the  long-standardized 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING         171 

semi-cylindrical  plate.  This  press  is  only  one  plate 
wide,  starts  with  a  single  plate,  can  be  operated  by 
two  men,  and  can  be  used  for  many  jobs  with  great 
profit.  The  equipment  with  the  press  is  a  Tubular- 
Plate  casting-box,  and  mechanical  compressor  steam- 
table,  which  can  be  operated  by  the  same  two  men 
who  run  the  press,  where  union  rules  do  not  prohibit 
such  efficiency.  The  Duplex  Press  Company  turn 
out  larger  presses  for  metropolitan  newspapers  and 
will  gladly  furnish  further  details  on  request. 

R.  H.  Hoe  &  Co.  for  years  had  a  practical  monopoly 
of  the  printing-press  business,  and  for  a  long  time  beat 
off  all  competitors  by  sheer  force  of  merit  and  quick 
delivery  of  the  goods.  But  during  recent  years 
several  manufacturers  developing  new  ideas  in  con- 
struction and  efficiency  are  finding  increasing  recogni- 
tion. While  all  manufacturers  endeavor  to  standard- 
ize their  product,  the  Hoe  concern  has  always  met 
competition  by  matching  new  types  produced  by 
others,  and  by  reason  of  the  wonderful  experience  of 
their  designers  can  build  a  press  to  fit  any  space  and 
produce  any  combination  that  may  be  required. 

From  the  huge  Double  Octuple,  which  will  turn  out 
288,000  four-  to  eight-page  papers  per  hour,  down 
through  the  Double  Sextuple  to  the  single  Octuple  or 
single  Sextuple  either  "Straightline"  or  **X"  type  the 
line  is  wonderful  and  much  varied. 

Hoe  machinery  has  always  been  maintained  up  to 
a  very  high  standard.  A  Hoe  press  twenty  years 
old,  if  kept  up  to  date  by  the  addition  of  new  devices 
as  perfected,  will  generally  be  found  to  run  better 
than  the  day  it  came  from  the  shop. 

The  Hoe  people  say  that  they  have  given  up  the 
construction  of  the  smaller  types  of  presses  for  very 


172        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

small  newspapers.  They  do  not  quote  prices  on  their 
presses  except  to  prospective  buyers.  For  further 
information  address  R.  Hoe  &  Co.,  Grand  Street, 
New  York  City. 

One  of  the  very  highest  grade  of  newspaper  presses 
is  made  by  the  Goss  Printing  Press  Company  of 
Chicago,  which,  through  the  great  success  of  their 
famous  "  Straightline "  type,  almost  revolutionized 
its  press  business. 

Their  line,  of  which  I  am  briefly  referring  to  only 
three  models,  is  complete  and  worthy  of  careful 
investigation.  What  I  have  always  liked  about  the 
Goss  people  is  that  they  always  name  a  fair  price  for 
a  press  and  generally  get  it.  ~  ^ 

They  are  not  out  for  volume  business  at  a  loss  for 
the  showing,  and,  as  a  rule,  wherever  a  Goss  has  been 
tried  out  it  is  always  more  Gosses  for  that  plant. 

In  my  experience  investigating  press-room  condi- 
tions about  the  country  I  have  generally  noticed,  where 
two  or  more  types  of  presses  were  employed,  that  the 
circulation  men  always  want  Goss  **Straightlines"  used 
for  starters  because  they  think  they  get  away  quicker 
and  with  less  breaks  at  the  start. 

The  Goss  Comet  Web  Perfecting  Press,  with  folder, 
fills  a  field  of  usefulness  to-day  in  the  growth  of  a 
newspaper  that  was  unoccupied  a  few  years  ago.  It 
bridges  over  the  period  of  growth  from  a  newspaper 
produced  on  a  sheet-fed  press  to  the  circulation  that 
demands  a  stereotyping  rotary  press  with  its  expensive 
first  cost  and  constant  charge  of  stereotyping.  The 
Comet  prints  direct  from  flat  type  forms.  It  prints 
either  four,  six,  or  eight  pages,  prints  both  sides  of 
the  web,  and  folds  (pastes,  if  desired,)  its  product  to 
either  one-half  or  one-quarter  page  fold  at  a  speed  of 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING         173 

3,500  copies  per  hour,  and  prints  either  six  or  seven 
columns  to  the  page.  The  Comet  is  a  high-grade, 
simple,  economical,  and  dependable  press,  and  costs 
about  four  thousand  dollars. 

The  Goss  Junior  Straightline  is  adapted  to  print 
and  fold  such  newspaper  publications  as  have  out- 
grown the  capacity  of  a  Comet,  both  as  to  product 
per  hour  and  number  of  pages  to  each  publication. 
Each  printing  unit,  or  deck,  prints  upon  a  separate 
web  one  page  wide,  and  the  Junior  Straightline  Press 
is  built  with  either  three,  four,  or  five  decks  to  produce 
the  maximum  number  of  pages  required.  If  originally 
built  with  two  decks,  the  third  and  fourth  decks  can 
be  added  at  any  later  date,  making  a  unit-constructed 
press  increasable  in  capacity  as  the  newspaper  grows. 
Only  one  plate  is  used  for  each  page,  excepting  in 
producing  six-,  ten-,  and  fourteen-page  papers,  when 
there  are  only  two  more  plates  than  pages  used.  All 
products  are  folded  in  book  form  and  only  one  width 
of  web  is  used. 

This  press  produces  at  a  running  speed  of  20,000 
copies  per  hour  and  fills  the  bill  excellently  until  the 
publication  demands  a  high-speed  press  of  metro- 
politan capacity.  The  prices  for  this  type  of  press 
run  from  $13,200  and  up,  according  to  size  press 
demanded. 

The  high-speed  Goss  Straightline  sextuple  presses 
are  built  for  a  guaranteed  speed  of  36,000  copies  per 
hour  on  all  products  run  two  to  a  revolution.  This 
speed  is  the  actual  practical  speed  and  not  a  visionary 
one.  This  machine  is  built  to  suit  the  demands  of  the 
purchaser  from  a  two-plate-wide,  three  deck,  twenty- 
four-page  press,  to  a  double  Octuple  with  supple- 
mentary color-printing  units,  or  larger.     It  is  divided 


174        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

into  two  types,  known  as  ''Decker"  and  "Low" 
constructed,  the  type  selected  by  the  purchaser  will 
generally  conform  to  the  possibilities  of  his  press- 
room, and  both  types  have  many  points  in  their  favor. 
Both  classes  of  machines  are  furnished  with  Goss 
patented  quick-lock-up  device  which  instantly  and 
securely  locks  the  printing  plates  in  place,  and  the 
wrench  used  for  this  purpose  cannot  be  removed  from 
its  position  until  the  plates  are  securely  locked. 

The  printing  cylinders  are  so  located  or  placed  that 
it  is  unnecessary  to  remove  any  inking  rollers  in 
attaching  the  plates.  The  plate  cylinders  are  stag- 
gered. All  ink  fountains  are  equipped  with  end  ad- 
justment so  that  it  is  unnecessary  for  the  pressman 
to  enter  the  press  to  adjust  the  ink  at  any  time.  The 
inking  mechanisms  are  of  latest  type  and  optional  as 
to  construction  and  capacity.  All  ink  fountains  are 
prepared  for  pipe  supply  of  ink.  Ink  fountain  feed 
by  ratchet  and  pawl  with  complete  facilities  for 
regulating  of  ink. 

All  roller  sockets  and  fountain-feed  roller-levers  are 
of  safety-lock  type.  All  inking  mechanisms  are  on 
the  outside  of  the  frame.  The  printing-cylinder 
bearings  are  three  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter  by 
eight  and  a  half  inches  long,  and  special  high-carbon 
hammered  steel  devices  are  used  in  all  cylinders. 
The  framework  of  the  machines  is  extremely  heavy. 
Wedge  adjustments  are  used  for  setting  impression. 
Presses  are  furnished  with  or  without  electrical 
drive. 

The  prices  for  Goss  high-speed  machinery  vary  from 
$19,750  for  their  single-width,  triple-deck  presses 
to  $38,000  and  up,  according  to  type  of  press 
demanded. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        175 

The  five  high-speed  presses  in  The  New  York  Globe 
office  are  equipped  with  the  Kohler  System,  especially 
designed  to  operate  and  control  them  electrically. 
They  have  now  been  in  steady  operation  for  over  six 
years  without  a  hitch  or  drawback  of  any  kind. 
Around  the  presses  at  convenient  points  are  a  number 
of  push-button  stations  which  are  connected  with  the 
main  control  board  on  the  side  wall  and  above  the 
floor.  The  buttons  are  marked  ' '  on, "  ' '  stop, ' *  "  off , " 
with  two  control  buttons,  "run,"  and  **safe." 

For  the  protection  of  our  men  we  eliminated  the  use 
of  all  the  starting  buttons  except  at  one  point  under 
the  control  of  the  pressman  in  charge.  In  operation 
any  man  at  six  or  eight  points  can  stop  the  press  in 
case  of  necessity,  but  only  one  can  start  it.  When 
the  button  "safe"  is  pushed  in  at  any  point,  no  one 
can  start  the  press  at  any  other  point.  Under  such  a 
system  accidents  such  as  men  losing  hands  and  arms 
when  putting  on  plates,  through  the  careless  starting 
of  the  press  by  a  man  at  another  point,  are  almost 
entirely  eliminated. 

In  operation  the  presses  are  started  by  the  press- 
man pushing  the  "on"  button.  By  continuing  to 
press  this  button  the  press  may  be  gradually  acceler- 
ated from  standstill  to  maximum  speed  or  any  speed 
in  between.  By  pressing  the  "off"  button  when  the 
press  is  running  its  speed  gradually  dies  down.  By 
pushing  the  red,  or  "stop,"  button  the  press  can  be 
brought  to  an  almost  instant  stop.  The  list  price  of 
the  Kohler  System  for  driving  a  high-speed  sextuple 
press  installed  at  any  point  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River  is  $4,250.  For  further  information  address 
The  Kohler  System,  50  Church  St.,  New  York  City. 

Entirely  aside  from  the  ordinary  stereotype  equip- 


176         NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

ment  furnished  by  the  printing-press  manufacturer 
under  old  conditions,  the  modern  up-to-date  newspaper 
can  secure  great  advantage  in  efficiency  by  using 
inventions  brought  forth  by  Henry  A.  Wise  Wood 
and  his  brother,  Benjamin  Wood,  who  have  gone  into 
the  dry-mat  problem  and  produced  the  Junior  Auto- 
plate  Machine  and  Autoshaver.  The  Double  Junior 
can  be  arranged  on  either  side  of  a  huge  metal  pot, 
with  the  Autoshaver  coming  forward  at  the  center. 
Under  old  conditions  the  plate  was  made  by  pouring 
molten  metal  by  hand-ladle  into  the  casting  box,  and 
then  finishing  it  on  stationary  blocks  by  hand,  a  slow 
and  cumbersome  process  compared  with  the  modem 
method.  The  Junior  Autoplate  Machine  turning  out 
three  plates  per  minute,  scraped  and  cut  ready  for  the 
Autoshaver  to  finish  cool  and  dry  at  the  rate  of  twelve 
per  minute,  has  probably  more  than  any  other  factor 
made  possible  the  modem  daily  newspaper. 

Single  Junior  Autoplate  machines  are  listed  at 
$10,000  F.O.B.  factory.  Double  Junior  Autoplate 
machines,  $12,000  F.O.B.  factory.  The  Autoshaver 
is  listed  at  $3,500  F.O.B.  factory. 

For  the  use  of  smaller  newspapers  desirous  of  re- 
ducing hand  labor  to  the  minimum,  and  at  the  same 
time  securing  more  uniformly  good  plates  than  by  the 
hand  process  the  Wood  Company  has  designed  and 
successfully  demonstrated  the  Semi-Autoplate  ma- 
chine. Here  we  have  a  single  unit  in  which  can 
be  cast,  finished,  cooled,  and  delivered  two  plates  per 
minute,  ready  for  the  press  without  handling. 

After  years  of  persistent  experimentation  and  ex- 
asperating experience  in  getting  stereotypers  to  give 
the  thing  a  fair  chance  the  Wood  Company  now  has 
a  dry  mat  which  is  a  veritable  life-saver  in  the  art  of 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING         177 

newspaper-making.  The  dry  mat  eliminates  the 
steam-table  or  the  making  of  mats  by  the  old  hand 
process.  The  dry  mat  has  made  stereotyping  a  proc- 
ess almost  as  easy  for  any  man  as  a  stereotyper,  but 
its  use  has  put  no  stereotypers  out  of  the  business. 
During  the  experimental  days  in  which  we  used  the 
crude  dry  fiongs  exclusively  for  months  we  had  all 
sorts  of  trouble  with  shrinkages  up  and  down  and 
at  angles. 

To-day  by  refinements  in  the  process  a  uniform  cross 
shrinkage  is  secured  which  is  not  objectionable  from 
any  standpoint,  and  can  be  easily  utilized  to  make 
considerable  economy  in  print-paper  costs,  from  one  to 
two  inches  in  the  width  of  the  four-page-wide  roll. 
Dry  mats  are  now  quoted  at  fourteen  cents  each,  by 
the  hundred  or  thousand. 

In  connection  with  dry  mats,  or,  for  that  matter, 
for  any  sort  of  stereotyping,  the  under-driven  Wood 
matrix  rolling  machine  deserves  recognition.  The 
Wood  Company  by  producing  this  machine  entirely 
eliminated  the  burr  on  the  surface  of  the  plates  so 
frequent  under  old  conditions.  Under  the  old  plan 
the  power  was  applied  to  the  rolling  cylinder,  which 
produced  a  thrust  that  caused  the  type  to  drag  into 
the  surface  of  the  soft  mat.  Mr.  Wood,  by  transferring 
the  power  to  the  lower  cylinder  and  plat  ten,  leaves  the 
upper  cylinder  free  to  roll  the  mat  smoothly  into  the 
type.  Other  machines  of  the  type  are  now  made, 
but  the  credit  of  producing  this  important  develop- 
ment belongs  to  Henry  A.  Wise  Wood  and  Benjamin 
Wood.  Further  details  regarding  any  of  the  Wood 
machinery  can  be  secured  from  The  Wood  Newspaper 
Machinery  Co.,  25  Madison  Ave.,  New  York  City. 


XXIII 

Composing  Machinery 

If  asked  what  invention,  aside  from  the  develop- 
ments of  the  printing  press  itself,  more  than  any  other 
made  our  present-day  newspaper  a  possibility  as 
compared  with  those  of  earlier  days,  I  should  have  to 
answer,  the  Linotype,  invented  by  Mergenthaler  of 
Baltimore.  As  improved  from  the  earliest  models 
made  during  the  '8o's  the  present  Linotype  family 
with  multi-magazine  equipments  of  various  sorts 
represents  almost  as  revolutionary  stages  of  improved 
efficiency  as  did  the  original  machine  over  hand 
setting.  Model  9,  for  instance,  gives  the  operator 
control  of  eight  different  faces  of  type,  which  he  can 
use  in  a  single  line  if  he  chooses  by  simply  pulling 
different  levers  to  throw  the  desired  magazine  into 
place.  One  printer  and  one  Linotype  save  the  work 
of  five  pairs  of  legs  and  five  pairs  of  hands  in  handling 
material,  in  setting  straight  matter,  display,  or  tabular 
work. 

Linotype  matter  is  easier  handled  than  matter  set 
in  individual  type,  for  it  eliminates  the  delays  caused 
by  pieing  the  type.  The  use  of  the  Linotype  also 
produces  a  new  dress  of  type  for  each  issue  of  the 
newspaper.  If  our  compositors  were  more  inclined 
to  try  to  get  maximum  production  from  our  Linotype 
machines  generally,  rather  than  to  produce  average 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING         179 

low  outputs,  the  use  of  the  machines  would  mean  even 
greater  efficiency  in  production  than  they  do  to-day. 
For  further  information  regarding  Linotype  machines 
address  the  Mergenthaler  Company,  Tribune  Build- 
ing, New  York  City. 

One  of  the  most  important  parts  of  the  equipment 
of  a  modern  newspaper  composing  room  is  the  Mono- 
type, which  is  practically  the  combination  of  a  com- 
posing machine  with  a  veritable  type-foundry.  It  not 
only  makes  the  type  necessary  for  its  own  composition, 
but  also  supplies  type,  leads,  slugs,  rules,  and  spacing 
material  for  the  hand  compositors  and  the  whole 
newspaper. 

The  Monotype  is  a  pair  of  machines,  for  the  Mono- 
type consists  of  two  separate  machines,  one  of  which — 
the  keyboard — composes  the  type  and  records  it  by 
perforations  on  a  paper  ribbon  which  controls  the 
other — the  Caster — in  making  the  type  and  setting 
it  in  lines  and  columns.  The  keyboard  will  set  any 
matter  than  can  be  handled  by  any  other  machine 
and  some  kinds  that  are  possible  only  on  the  Mono- 
type. In  fact,  it  will  set  anything  that  can  be  set  by 
hand,  and  do  it  quicker.  This  includes  those  intricate 
advertisements  of  the  big  department  stores  with  two 
and  three  faces  of  type  and  large  figures,  which  it  sets 
at  one  handling,  as  well  as  the  smaller  and  less  compli- 
cated advertisements. 

In  addition,  it  makes  the  display  type  needed  for 
the  heads  and  hand-set  advertisements.  It  does  all 
this  so  economically  that  it  is  less  expensive  to  remelt 
whole-pages  after  use  and  make  new  type  than  it  is 
to  distribute.  Thus,  the  Monotype  created  the  Non- 
distribution  System,  which  is  the  greatest  advance  in 
newspaper  manufacturing  economy  since  the  inven- 


i8o        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

tion  of  the  hot-metal  composing  machine.  By  this 
system  all  non-productive  time  is  eliminated  and  the 
compositor  relieved  of  the  disagreeable  work  of  distri- 
bution.    All  his  time  is  occupied  in  new  composition. 

In  recommending  the  purchase  of  equipment  it  is 
usual  to  say  something  about  cost  of  machinery,  etc., 
but  in  the  case  of  the  Monotype  this  is  really  im- 
material, as  in  any  considerable  plant  the  saving  it 
makes  will  pay  the  entire  cost  in  a  couple  of  years. 
The  first  cost  is  less  than  that  of  a  foundry-type  outfit 
that  would  give  anything  like  equivalent  service  and 
depends  on  the  size  of  the  paper,  the  character  of 
display  in  heads  and  advertisements,  and  the  number 
of  fonts  desired.  The  cost  of  running  after  installa- 
tion is  much  lower  than  any  other  system.  The  list 
price  of  the  Monotype  Keyboard  and  Casting  Machine 
is  $4,200.  For  further  information  address  The 
Lanston  Monotype  Machine  Company,  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania. 

The  Thompson  Typecaster  has  been  on  the  market 
since  1908,  and  has  found  its  way  to  all  parts  of  the 
world.  One  outstanding  feature  of  this  machine  is 
its  ability  to  take  any  Linotype  or  Intertype  matrix 
and  cast  single  type  from  it  for  the  case,  and  as  these 
matrices  are  made  for  many  foreign  languages,  the 
reason  is  here  found  for  its  popularity  in  countries 
abroad.  They  are  in  use  in  Australia,  India,  China, 
Japan,  South  Africa,  Java,  South  America,  Jamaica, 
Cuba,  Germany,  Italy,  Holland,  England,  and  Canada, 
as  well  as  in  large  numbers  in  the  United  States,  where 
more  than  eighty  daily  newspapers  now  cast  all  their 
type  with  Thompson  Typecasters.  Many  are  in  use 
by  job  printers  also. 

The  Thompson  Type  Machine  Company's  factory 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 


!«! 


is  in  Chicago,  while  matrix  Hbraries  are  carried  in 
New  York,  Chicago,  and  London.  Here  are  kept  for 
the  convenience  of  users  of  this  machine  all  the 
popular  display  type  faces  in  series  running  from  six 
to  forty-eight  point  in  size,  the  matrices  being  loaned 
for  a  nominal  fee  to  users. 

An  interesting  development  recently  brought  out  is 
an  attachment  for  casting  leads,  rules,  and  slugs,  in 
all  body  sizes  from  two  point  up  in  endless  strips,  and 
a  cutting-off  attachment  which  automatically  cuts 
the  material  into  desired  lengths.  The  price  of  the 
Thompson  Typecaster  is  $i,6oo,  complete  to  cast 
eleven  sizes  of  type,  quads,  and  spaces.  Lead,  slug, 
and  rule  casting  attachment,  with  cutter,  from  $400 
to  $600  extra.  On  even  a  6-per-cent.  basis  the  invest- 
ment in  such  an  equipment  should  pay  for  itself 
within  a  year  or  two  in  even  a  small  newspaper  office. 
In  the  larger  office,  on  account  of  the  limited  floor  space 
it  requires  and  its  wonderful  flexibility  of  production, 
it  is  a  prime  necessity. 

A  recently  developed  machine  for  advertising  dis- 
play composition  is  the  Ludlow  Typograph,  for  which 
the  Mergenthaler  Company  is  selling  agent.  The 
Ludlow  sets  matrices  instead  of  type,  and  these  are 
kept  in  cases  adjacent  to  the  machine,  being  returned 
immediately  to  their  places  after  use.  The  product 
of  the  Ludlow  is  a  slug,  multiples  of  which  will  pro- 
duce any  desired  measure. 

Working  on  the  same  basic  design  as  that  originated 
by  Mergenthaler,  on  the  expiration  of  his  base  patents, 
the  Intertype  machine  to-day  offers  newspaper 
publishers  a  composing  machine  designed  to  com- 
bine simplicity  and  flexibility  so  standardized  as  to  be 
absolutely  interchangeable. 


i82        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

Thus,  if  a  printer  buys  a  model  A  single  machine, 
he  may  at  any  time  later  have  its  range  of  work 
widened  by  having  it  made  over  into  a  model  B  or 
model  C,  in  his  own  office  and  at  a  cost  not  to  exceed 
the  original  difference  in  price  between  the  two 
models. 

Now  that  the  bugaboo  of  threatened  infringement 
litigation  has  been  wiped  out  by  decision  of  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court,  no  newspaper  publisher 
need  have  any  fear  in  giving  the  Intertype  the  trial 
it  deserves.  In  our  experience  the  machine  gives 
complete  satisfaction  in  every  respect,  and  at  the  lower 
prices  for  which  it  is  sold  than  other  types,  including 
parts  and  supplies,  its  use  offers  attractive  induce- 
ments. For  further  details  write  the  Intertype 
Corporation,  Terminal  Building,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


XXIV 

Sf ace-saving  Economies 

In  my  observation  among  the  daily  newspapers  of 
the  country  I  have  been  surprised  at  the  really  wonder- 
ful efficiencies  of  many  of  the  small  city  newspapers, 
as  compared  with  the  waste  and  prodigality  of  our 
big  city  newspapers.  The  best  ideas  are  often 
developed  in  the  smaller  offices,  where,  **  necessity 
being  the  mother  of  invention,"  they  just  have  to  do 
things  to  get  by,  while  we  are  too  bound  up  in  webs 
of  tradition  and  habit.  On  November  i6,  191 6,  I 
received  this  letter  from  Robin  Damon,  publisher  of 
the  Salem  (Mass.)  News: 

Dear  Sm, — ^We  little  fellows  in  the  subiirbs  watch  the  move- 
ments of  the  men  in  charge  of  the  big  papers.  You  have  been 
quoted  at  some  length  and  frequently  regarding  the  newspaper 
situation — ^and  just  now  the  situation  is  acute.  Some  old-timer 
is  accused  of  nodding,  and  there's  also  a  wise  saying  about  the 
beam  in  the  eye.  Hence  I  should  like  to  know  just  why  your 
paper  considers  it  necessary  to  use  about  2,500  inches  in  a  year 
for  the  inclosed.     (See  page  179.) 

Why  should  nearly  an  inch  of  space  be  given  to  the  informa- 
tion about  The  Globe  being  entered  as  second-class  matter?  One 
inch  across  the  colimm  should  be  sufficient  for  the  whole  matter, 
for  it  never  is  changed.    Note  how  we  cover  the  same  thing. 


THE  SALEM  EVENING  NEWS 
Salem  New»  Publlghlng  Co. 
12  Entered  as  Second  Class  Matt  liatUri, 


i84        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

Immediately  on  receiving  the  tip  I  referred  the 
matter  to  our  editor  and  wrote  Mr.  Damon  a  note  of 
thanks,  enclosing  a  proof  of  the  heading  in  abridged 
form: 


^.  Jf^^Jl^be*!  end  owned  by  the  Commercial  Advertiser  A«bocI»» 
Jihm  °'<»*»«,'5«uare.  New  York.  tL  3,  Wright.  Preeldent;  Wllllani 
?»?  xt  ff'i^'''*'  Treasurer;  Jason  Roarers,  becretary.  Entered  at 
*f f-ti?^  York  Postofflce  las  secondrclaas  matter.  SUBSCRIPTION 
fA A  ®A  ^"*  ^'^"-  *^-00;  Six  Months.  .  tS.OO;  Three  Months, 
tl.gO;   One   Month.   60<j, ^     

n.  -  .K.        STATEMEOT  OF'^HRaJLATION. 

"•  ...rJ'- •!•'*''?  "et  paid  circulation  of  Tht  Globe  tor  ths  210  755 


year  •odtit  June  30.  1917.  wa*. 

•  tfatty  svtrago  net  paid  eirculat 
year  ended  June  eo.  1916.  was 

Tb»  Globe  Is  a  member  of  the  Audit;  Bbre«a  of  Clreolstloaa. 


^•J?!?^-*^'"*".'  "-**.f*'?-*l'*"'*"«"»  •'  '*'•»•  G'"**  «•'  ti*      184  580 


I  received  this  most  informatory  and  valuable  reply, 
which  I  am  taking  the  liberty  of  spreading  before  all 
newspaper-makers  for  their  use: 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  your  letter  with  proof  inclosed.  I  am 
pleased  that  you  have  seen  the  point  and  acted  so  quickly.  Recent- 
ly I  have  been  working  here  over  the  waste  problem,  for  I  beheve 
that  every  extra  lead  or  space  used  that  does  no  good  or  serves 
no  purpose  should  be  eliminated.  It  is  surprising  what  a  lot 
of  space  printers  throw  away  in  a  single  edition  because  it  is 
easier  to  drop  in  a  lot  of  leads  than  to  find  things  that  just  fit 
the  space.  Of  course,  I  know  that  in  the  rush  of  closing  pages  a 
lot  of  things  must  slip  by,  but  my  notion  is  that  if  certain  rules 
regarding  the  small  things  are  adopted  only  a  small  per  cent,  of 
wasteful  instances  will  appear  daily. 

We  average  on  this  paper  about  ten  pages  daily,  where  a  few 
weeks  ago  it  took  twelve  pages  for  the  same  amount  of  advertising, 
and  as  a  rule  there  was  what  the  editorial  department  calls  "plenty 
of  room  for  everything." 

This  CQadition  came  from  the  fact  that  the  size  went  to  twelve 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        185 


NEW  rORK.  TUESDAT.  OCTOBER  8. 


PuHIshed  and  orvned  by  the  Commercial  Advertiser  Associa- 
tion. Globe  Square.  New  York.  H.  J.  Wright,  President;  William 
Bhlllaber,  Jr.,  Treasurer;  Jason  Rogers.  Secretary. 


Entered  at  the  New  York  Postofflce  as  second-class  matter. 


PUBLICATIOI*   OrnCE:      Gl^OBE   SQUARE. 

WASHINGTON   OFFICE Time*   Bulldlnf 

CHICAGO   OFFICE Tribunp   Building 

LONDON  OFFICE*, 8  Waterloo  Place.  PaU  Mali.  6.   W. 


SUBSCRIPTION  RATES; 

On^   Year $6.00  Three  Months 11.10 

Six  Months .^.   3.00  One   Month SO 


STATEMENT  OF  CIRCULATION. 

aoe  n»t  paid  eli 
noDth  of  August,  1919,  was. 

s  dally  averaga  nat  paid  eii 
month  of  August,  1915.  waHi 


rtt  tfatly  avarage  nat  paid  eireuiatlor.  ef  The  Globa  for  tlis      Ol  Q  fi7A 
Tho  dally  average  nat  paid  eireulatlon  ef  The  Globa  far  the      n  g^  737 


The  (ilobe  Is  m  member  of  the  Aadlt  Biir«Att  of  Olrealations. 


THE  OLOBE  is  not  responsible  for  any  unsolicited 
manuscript  which  is  not  plainly  marked  with  the  name 
anct  address  of  the  sender  and  accompanied  6y  stamps 
for  return. 


The  Globe  does  not  knowingly.  Accept  false  or  fraudulent  ad- 
vertising or  other  advertising  of  an  objectionable  nature.  Readers 
of  The  Globe  will  comfer  a  fav.or  if  they  will  promptly  report  any 
failure  o;i  the  part  of  an  advertiser  to  make  good  any  represen* 
tatlon  contained'  in  a  Globe  advertisement. 


i86        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

pages  when  there  were  three,  four,  or  five  columns  extra  beyond 
the  regular  run  of  advertising  for  ten  pages.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
it  took  but  little  encouragement  to  jump  to  twelve  pages,  for 
with  twelve  machines  wc  always  have  several  himdred  columns 
of  tjrpe  standing,  and  there  seem  to  be  many  illustrations — coming 
from  the  I.  U.  S.  service.  We  have  so  much  filling  material  that 
a  twelve-page  paper  seems  nothing.  Then  a  man  in  charge  of 
the  editorial  department  seemed  surprised  when  I  told  him  that 
he  was  wasting  money.  "Why,  it  doesn't  cost  anything,  for  we 
have  so  much  type  and  so  many  illustrations  we  could  run  twelve 
pages  every  day,  and  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  plan,"  that  was 
his  response.  And  it  happens  that  we  have  a  rather  enterprising 
young  man  as  foreman,  who  is  anxious  to  make  a  good  paper. 

I  came  back  from  a  summer  in  Maine  the  middle  of  October, 
and  since  then  I  have  been  working  on  the  "efficiency  and 
economy'*  idea,  because  while  in  the  woods  I  paid  a  ntimber  of 
visits  to  the  paper  mills,  and  the  information  I  was  given  gave  me 
a  number  of  serious  thoughts,  for  I  saw  more  wrapping  paper 
coming  out  than  white  news — and  the  price  quoted  for  next 
year — or  hinted,  for  the  mill  men  will  not  set  a  price — ^has  been 
astounding,  even  with  our  small  edition.  Since  I  have  been  on 
the  job  here  I  have  talked  with  five  different  publishers,  and  I 
have  been  surprised  to  learn  that  they  were  in  total  ignorance  of 
the  great  waste  permitted  in  the  different  offices. 

After  my  talks  with  the  responsible  men,  and  careful  observa- 
tion of  the  newspapers,  I  agree  with  Mr.  of  the  Berlin 

Paper  Company,  who  told  me  that  newspaper  publishers  would 
be  bankrupt  if  their  enterprises  demanded  the  careful  super- 
vision given  ordinary  manufacturing  concerns.  This  reminds 
me  that  at  the  big  plant  of  the  United  Shoe  Machinery  Company, 
located  near  here,  the  technical  department  has  just  expended 
$250,000  in  perfecting  an  appliance  used  in  lasting  shoes  that  now 
saves  a  sliver  of  leather  no  thicker  than  a  pin.  Every  newspaper 
in  the  United  States  is  wasting  from  columns  to  pages  of  space — 
simply  throwing  away  the  money,  because  no  one  gives  attention 
to  the  many  little  places  where  people  with  no  thought  of  cost 
toss  away  the  pennies.  I  have  been  trying  to  get  three  papers 
now  running  7-col.  13-em  pages  to  adopt  the  8-col.  i2>^-em 
pages.  In  one  case  this  would  save  $25,000  a  year  in  white  paper, 
to  Sfty  nothing  of  the  saving  in  matrix  paper,  ink,  power,  freight, 
etc.    Yet  the  manager  says  that  he  cannot  make  the  change  on 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        187 

account  of  some  "tinkering"  needed  on  the  press.  I  offered  to 
put  in  a  new  press  if  he  would  give  me  half  the  saving  for  ten 
years.  And  he  hangs  back.  Yet  I  know  his  present  plant  could 
be  changed  for  less  than  $i,ooo  in  a  month's  time,  and  make  the 
tremendous  saving. 

In  this  office,  with  a  daily  edition  of  19,000  at  present,  we  are 
saving  an  average  of  two  pages  a  day.  Six  weeks  ago  we  were 
running  21,250  daily,  but  non-return,  cutting  down  all  free  copies, 
and  watching  papers  as  though  they  were  dollar  bills,  has  saved 
over  1,200  daily — and  we  now  collect  more  cash  from  sales  than 
we  did  two  months  ago.  We  also  increased  mail  subscriptions 
to  fifty  cents  a  month.  Many  papers  have  adopted  most  of  this 
plan,  but  the  saving  is  little  compared  to  the  amoimt  that  could 
be  cut  off  by  digging  into  the  details  of  every  page  of  the  paper. 

With  a  paper  like  The  Globe  I  think  it  is  moderate  to  estimate 
that  the  adoption  of  even  a  small  part  of  the  ideas  we  have  put 
into  force  here  would  save  $50,000  yearly — ^and  I  should  not  be 
surprised  if  the  sum  was  double.  Of  course,  this  requires  some 
co-operation  from  the  editorial  department,  yet  the  greater  part 
of  the  work  can  be  donewith  little  reference  to  the*' men  up-stairs." 
In  fact,  with  one  paper  I  have  sort  of  advised  on  the  subject,  two 
pages  a  day  were  cut  off  before  the  men  with  the  green  eye-shades 
knew  what  was  going  on.  With  their  active  interest  in  the 
matter  the  paper  was  given  several  extra  columns  for  news  after 
the  business  department  had  taken  its  share  of  the  saving. 

When  I  take  a  day  and  look  over  the  exchanges  coming  here  it 
fairly  makes  me  itch  to  get  hold  of  the  managers  and  tell  them 
what  wasteful  rascals  they  are  in  every  department.  Yet  my  few 
interviews  have  usually  ended  in,  "Oh,  well,  we  cannot  run  things 
that  way."  If  you  look  over  every  paper  you  will  see  that  the 
one  thing  I  criticized  in  The  Globe  is  a  waste  in  all. 

A  good  way  to  find  out  just  how  space  is  wasted  would  be  for 
you  to  ask  the  composing  room  to  send  you  fifty  ordinary  two- 
point  leads  and  stack  them  up  on  your  desk.  Measiire  the  pile, 
and  you  will  see  that  it  represents  some  space.  Then  go  over  the 
pages  of  The  Globe  and  count  the  number  of  places  where  there 
are  extra  leads.  Include  in  your  requisition  an  order  for  ten  of 
the  dashes  used  in  heads.  You  will  find  that  the  dashes  make  an 
inch  or  more.  Again  go  over  the  pages  and  note  where  dashes 
are  used  that  do  no  good,  tell  nothing,  but  take  space.  To 
illustrate  this  point  I  am  inclosing  a  few  slips  from  this  paper's 


i88        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

wcM-k.  We  run  an  average  of  forty  columns  of  reading  matter 
daily,  and  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  five  columns  were  wasted. 
This  five  coltunns  saved  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  we  have  saved 
pap^,  for,  as  stated  before,  an  extra  three  to  five  columns  throws 
the  size  up  a  couple  of  pages  in  the  average  office. 

The  answer  to  my  plan  has  usually  been  that  the  details  are  too 
petty,  yet  one  plain  lead  saved  each  day  on  a  single  page  amounts 
to  365  in  a  year,  and  with  a  20-page  paper  it  is  7,300  leads.  Save 
100  leads  on  a  page,  and  it  is  quite  a  number.  You  can  easily 
find  out  by  using  the  sample  pile  of  50  leads.  I  have  not  seen  a 
newspaper  that  did  not  have  fully  100  extra  leads  in  the  average 
page.  Then  add  the  unnecessary  dashes,  and  the  saving  would 
be  enough  to  buy  several  linotype  machines  each  year.  I  do  not 
advocate  reducing  white  space  where  it  will  conflict  with  artistic 
effects  or  injure  the  papers.  My  theory  is  that  few,  if  any, 
readers  of  papers  notice  the  points  I  am  working  on — at  least  we 
have  not  heard  a  word  of  criticism. 

In  my  investigation  I  have  found  that  the  matters  I  speak  of 
have  always — or  nearly  always — ^been  arranged  by  some  printer, 
and  therefore  millions  of  dollars  are  wasted  by  the  newspapers  of 
this  country  on  the  more  or  less  haphazard  notions  of  men  receiv- 
ing from  $15  to  $35  a  week.  I  think  if  you  get  your  editorial 
men  into  your  office  and  ask  them  if  they  know  just  why  a  certain 
amount  of  space  is  used  between  certain  places  on  the  pages  they 
will  be  unable  to  answer,  except  that  the  custom  has  been  to  run 
things  in  the  way  they  are  shown. 

Here  is  where  the  efficiency  and  economy  expert  gets  in  his 
work.  And  I  think  that  the  newspapers  of  the  country  would 
receive  more  benefit  from  this  sort  of  thing  than  they  will  ever 
get  from  trying  to  regulate  the  price  of  paper.  It  is  no  wonder 
paper-makers  think  they  can  flim-flam  newspaper  publishers 
when  they  see  what  idiots  the  pubHshers  have  been  for  so  many 
years.  The  pubUshers  allow  irresponsible  men  to  spend  their 
cash,  and  few  even  realize  how  the  money  is  going  to  waste — ^and 
if  they  do  have  a  dim  notion  of  the  matter  they  look  at  their  own 
product  with  eyes  that  do  not  see. 

Of  course,  there  are  hundreds  of  ways  by  which  space  can  be 
saved  without  injuring  the  value  of  a  paper,  but  I  will  not  bother 
you  with  citing  them  now;  yet  if  you  feel  interested  in  the  subject 
I  should  be  pleased  to  go  into  details  at  length — and  if  you  care 
to  send  me  The  Globe  for  a  time  I  should  like  to  go  over  its  columns, 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        189 

and  I  think  I  could  point  out  places  where  your  printer-men 
could  save  you  a  lot  of  cash.  This  is  provided  you  do  not  find 
your  own  force  willing  to  join  your  efforts.  And  that  is  quite  a 
serious  problem. 

Here  I  have  found  it  necessary  to  personally  supervise  every 
page  for  a  number  of  days,  and  even  then  the  old-timers  will 
return  to  their  old  habit  of  "leading  out"  a  colimin  instead  of 
finding  something  that  is  a  snug  fit.  We  now  have  pages  without 
a  single  lead,  making  a  non-distribution  scheme,  although  we 
haven't  the  machinery  for  that  system. 

This  is  a  very  long  letter,  but  it  happens  that  for  the  past 
month  I  have  been  working  about  eighteen  hours  a  day  in  this 
office  and  two  others  on  the  interesting  subject,  and  so  I  am  over- 
flowing with  ideas  on  the  topic. 

I  am — or  was — a  practical  printer,  so  that  I  am  able  to  pick 
flaws  where  the  ordinary  manager  depends  upon  his  printers  for 
information.  One  publisher  told  me:  "Why,  what's  a  lead, 
anyhow?"  When  I  handed  him  one  he  replied:  **0h,  that 
little  thing  doesn't  amount  to  anything. "    Yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)  R.  Damon. 


H.  J.  Wright,  editor  of  The  Globe,  armed  with  the 
material  furnished  by  Mr.  Damon,  went  over  the  whole 
matter  with  our  foreman,  and  an  almost  complete 
revolution  took  place.  I  hate  to  make  an  estimate  of 
the  waste  space  they  eliminated,  but  sincerely  believe 
that  we  are  getting  anywhere  from  six  to  eight  more 
columns  of  honest  reading  matter  in  the  forty-five 
to  fifty-five  we  run  a  day  than  we  formerly  did. 

As  I  wrote  Mr.  Damon,  my  hat  is  off  to  him.  I 
have  long  known  his  wonderfully  successful  newspaper, 
which  dominates  its  field  with  a  thoroughness  I  think 
unequaled  in  the  country.  He  has  worked  hard  since 
he  started  The  News  in  1880,  beaten  off  all  competition, 
and  to-day  holds  absolute  monopoly  of  all  approaches 
to  Salem,  Massachusetts,  through  newspaper  adver- 
tising.    I  cannot  refrain  from  making  a  few  extracts 


I90        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

from  another  letter  from  Mr.  Damon,  which  accom- 
panied a  careful  digest  of  a  week's  file  of  The  Globe: 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  just  returned  from  a  week's  vacation  and 
found  your  letter  and  a  bundle  of  Globes.  Your  letter  expressed 
my  own  opinion  of  a  lot  of  metropolitan  publishers.  I  have  an 
idea  that  many  of  them  would  fall  down  hard  if  they  were  taken 
from  their  rich  feeding  groimds  and  compelled  to  scratch  a  Hving 
from  a  country  city. 

It  must  seem  rather  a  nervy  performance  for  me  to  even  pass  a 
word  of  criticism  on  an  effort  like  The  Globe,  yet,  taking  the 
bundle  of  papers  as  an  invitation,  I  spent  Sunday  evening  in 
going  over  the  papers.  I  inclose  a  few  notes  I  made  on  the 
paper. 

In  considering  my  criticism  you  should  take  into  consideration 
that  my  sole  experience  has  been  gained  in  this  rural  community 
and  its  adjoining  towns,  for  I  personally  started  The  News  when 
I  was  seventeen  years  old,  back  in  1880,  when  a  hand  filled  with 
type  and  a  press  just  big  enough  to  print  only  a  single  page  at 
a  time  seemed  sufficient  for  a  daily  paper  in  a  weekly  publica- 
tion office.  Now  there  are  only  one  old-time  weekly,  kept  alive 
through  sentiment,  and  The  News.  Naturally  there  have  been 
many  competitors. 

For  many  years  I  personally  conducted  every  department,  and 
it  was  my  regular  duty  to  see  every  page  before  it  was  made  up, 
and  also  look  after  the  press-room.  I  at  first  picked  up  a  lot  of 
type  in  the  advertising  department.  In  such  ways  I  secured  a 
practical  knowledge  of  all  the  work  on  a  country  daily,  although 
I  had  carried  on  a  job-printing  office  for  several  years  as  an 
amateur  printer  before  starting  the  paper.  For  a  nvunber  of 
years  now  I  have  been  away  from  six  to  eight  months  each  year, 
my  regular  time  for  continuous  work  here  being  from  the  middle 
of  October  to  the  first  of  February.  The  remainder  of  the  time 
I  am  either  in  the  Maine  woods  or  in  Florida.  Short  trips  keep 
me  posted.  It  happens  that  I  am  now  on  the  job,  and  hence  I 
have  gone  through  your  paper.  You  may  find  nothing  of  value 
in  the  notes,  and  if  you  do  not  get  even  a  hint  worth  taking  the 
work  will  still  be  both  pleasurable  and  profitable  to  me,  for  I  find 
that  by  making  such  close  examinations  of  many  other  papers  I 
am  getting  a  lot  of  ixiformation  that  has  proven  valuable. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        191 

I  am  inclosing  a  page  from  The  Bridgeport  Telegram,  one  of  my 
pupils.  The  mechanics  on  the  paper  are  poor  workmen,  but 
what  you  see  is  a  great  improvement  over  former  conditions. 

As  a  result  of  Mr.  Damon's  suggestions  we  have  cut 
out  columns  of  waste  space  in  The  Globe  every  day 
and  are  giving  the  readers  just  that  much  more  real 
reading  matter  or  saving  the  money  that  would  have 
been  wasted. 


XXV 

Mechanical  Problems  on   The  Globe 

If  your  newspaper  is  going  to  reach  a  circulation  of 
over  3,000  per  day,  it  is  advisable  to  install  a  perfecting 
press  and  stereotyping  machinery.  Some  of  the 
smaller  newspaper  publishers  incline  to  the  idea  that 
5,000  marks  the  starting  point  for  the  use  of  perfecting 
presses. 

For  such  a  small  office  and  indeed  for  one  expecting 
to  handle  from  120,000  to  150,000,  I  should  select 
either  of  the  two  models  made  by  R.  Hoe  &  Co.  or 
the  Duplex  Press  Company,  single-width  machines 
starting  with  a  single  plate,  capable  of  getting  out  a 
twelve-page  newspaper.  Such  a  press,  including  the 
stereotyping  equipment,  can  be  operated  by  two  men 
where  union  rules  do  not  interfere.  During  idle 
time  it  may  be  used  with  profit  to  get  out  fly-sheets 
and  large  rough  jobs  to  be  cut  up  later.  I  should  use 
the  dry  mat  which  does  away  with  a  steam-table,  and 
which  in  a  pinch  can  be  handled  by  almost  any  one. 
Electrical  power  provides  wonderfully  effective  opera- 
tion of  the  machinery  where  current  is  reasonable. 
Such  power,  besides  having  the  advantage  of  avoiding 
the  necessity  of  making  steam,  costs  money  only  when 
actually  in  use. 

I  am  a  strong  advocate  of  both  slug  and  single- 
letter  casting  machines  for  even  small  offices.     The 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        193 

interest  on  the  original  investment  is  very  small  in 
comparison  with  the  amount  of  money  that  can  be 
saved  in  eliminating  all  distribution.  In  the  old  days 
when  I  learned  my  trade  it  was  calculated  that  one- 
third  of  composition  expense  was  represented  by 
distribution.  In  other  words,  it  took  just  about  half 
as  much  time  to  get  the  type  back  into  the  cases  as 
to  set  it.  By  the  use  of  the  non-distributing  system, 
the  setting  of  all  type  by  machines  or  machine-made 
type,  and  throwing  it  all  into  the  melting  pot  at  the 
end  of  each  day,  our  total  expense  for  distribution  in 
The  Globe  office  is  about  $15  a  week. 

After  much  observation  I  incline  to  the  notion  that 
a  plant  for  a  large  newspaper  provided  with  a  number 
of  small  units  like  these  small  presses,  perhaps  equipped 
to  produce  newspapers  up  to  twenty-four  pages,  would 
be  ideal  and  more  economical  than  the  larger  and  more 
complicated  machines.  A  battery  of  such  presses, 
ranged  side  by  side  down  a  long  room,  where  land  is 
cheap,  each  unit  starting  with  a  single  plate,  would 
produce  more  papers  per  hour  for  the  number  of  units 
employed  than  larger  machines. 

For  example,  in  The  Globe  office  we  can  print  250,000 
papers  per  day  on  three  presses  by  getting  out  six 
editions,  when  we  should  require  seven  or  eight  presses 
to  produce  the  same  number  if  we  tried  to  do  it  all 
in  one  edition. 

In  the  case  of  morning  newspapers  where  only  one 
main  edition  is  published,  with  perhaps  a  country 
edition  a  bit  earlier,  less  press  capacity  is  required 
than  for  an  evening  newspaper.  With  the  evening 
newspaper  time  is  a  greater  essential,  and  in  our  larger 
cities,  at  least,  a  run  of  from  twenty  to  forty  minutes 
on  the  press  is  about  all  we  can  get  the  carriers  and 


194        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

newsboys  to  wait  for.  They  all  want  their  supply 
at  once.  The  papers  all  bear  edition  ear-marks, 
which  indicate  the  time  they  are  printed,  and  the 
fresher  they  are  off  the  press  the  more  readily  they 
sell. 

Even  in  the  case  of  smaller  newspapers  I  believe 
that  a  greater  multiplicity  of  editions  is  desirable. 
The  earlier  runs  can  be  filled  up  with  features  to  be 
dropped  later,  or  the  first  editions  can  be  held  down 
tight  and  gradually  blossom  out  into  real  newspapers 
toward  the  end  of  the  day. 

Much  prestige  can  be  created  by  establishing  a  repu- 
tation for  reliability  in  the  marking  of  editions.  Peo- 
ple can  be  trained  to  insist  on  certain  stated  editions, 
which  is  a  worth-while  asset  in  competition  with 
unreliable  newspapers  given  to  misbranding. 

In  equipping  The  Globe's  new  plant  in  191 1,  we 
sought  to  get  everything  up  to  the  minute.  We  put 
in  electric  drying  tables  for  the  stereotypers,  at  a  cost 
of  $8,000,  but  after  two  or  three  years'  experience 
threw  them  out  and  restored  steam. 

Under  commercial  conditions  we  found  that  it  was 
costing  us  about  as  much  for  electric  current  to  dry 
the  mats  as  to  operate  four  or  five  huge  modem  high- 
speed presses.  We  found  that  there  was  always  the 
danger  of  melting  the  forms  with  electric  current  in 
case  of  short-circuits. 

About  two  years  or  so  after  we  had  started  operating 
our  new  plant,  we  began  a  seven  months'  trial  of  the 
dry  mat,  which  had  been  so  much  talked  about  at  the 
April  meeting  of  the  American  Newspaper  Publishers' 
Association.  We  began  in  May,  and  from  that  time 
until  December  did  not  make  a  wet  mat  in  our  office. 
We  put  up  with  much  inconvenience  and  annoyance 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        195 

during  those  experimental  days,  in  the  hope  of  eventu- 
ally overcoming  the  difficulties.  Shrinkage  impossible 
to  control,  particularly  in  reference  to  block  advertise- 
ments, led  to  endless  complaints  and  allowances  to 
advertisers.  We  put  in  new  rolling  machines,  capable 
of  getting  deeper  impressions  in  the  mat,  bought  all 
kinds  of  roasters,  scorchers,  and  the  like,  being  anxious 
to  perfect  the  device  that  promised  to  do  away  with 
the  heat  of  the  drying-tables  in  summer  and  to  reduce 
the  damage  done  to  type  and  illustrations  by  frequent 
heating. 

We  found  that  we  had  to  reblanket  all  of  the  im- 
pression cylinders  on  the  presses  more  frequently  than 
formerly,  and  that  it  was  not  possible  to  get  uniform 
results  by  trying  to  use  wet  and  dry  mats  inter- 
changeably. That  was  the  reason  we  decided  to  adopt 
one  method  and  adjust  all  our  equipment  that  way. 
Along  in  December  we  got  a  poor  lot  of  dry  mats  and 
finally  decided  to  throw  the  whole  thing  overboard 
and  revert  to  the  old  process.  The  dry  mats  had  been 
costing  us  sixteen  cents  each,  but  were  later  reduced 
to  twelve  cents.  This  was  a  high  price  to  pay,  but  I 
thought  it  would  be  greatly  modified  if  the  demand  for 
them  became  large  enough  by  reason  of  general  use. 

During  our  dry  mat  experiment  our  stereotype  fore- 
man was  trying  out  various  schemes  to  produce  dry- 
mats  of  his  own  and  hit  upon  one  made  with  uncooked 
paste,  differing  from  the  usual  cooked  composition. 
When  we  returned  to  wet-mat  methods,  he  employed 
this  process  with  good  results  and  greater  economy. 
We  now  use  dry  mats  for  starters.  The  manufac- 
turers of  dry  mats  say  they  have  eliminated  certain 
of  the  troublesome  shrinks,  and  many  publishers  are 
reporting  satisfactory  experiences  with  them. 


196        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

With  the  new  equipment  we  put  in  four  new  high- 
speed sextuple  presses — three  Hoe  *'X"  type  and  one 
Goss  Straightline,  all  operated  by  sixty  and  ten  horse- 
power motors  under  the  Kohler  control  system. 

We  installed  a  Double  Junior  Autoplate  Machine 
and  shaver  in  our  stereotype  department,  equipped 
our  delivery  room  with  metal-topped  tables  instead 
of  the  old-fashioned  wooden  counters. 

We  put  in  three  additional  Monotype  type-casting 
machines,  giving  us  a  battery  of  five  of  these,  and 
added  several  multi-magazine  slug-casting  machines. 
This  gave  us  a  much  more  effective  equipment  than 
formerly  and  a  safe  operating  capacity  of  up  to  400,000 
papers  a  day. 


XXVI 

The  Newspaper  and  Labor 

Realizing  that  perhaps  my  views  regarding  the 
newspaper  in  relation  to  the  labor  it  employs,  with  its 
editorial  treatment  of  labor  and  its  general  policy 
toward  all  labor  news,  are  out  of  line  with  those  of 
most  newspaper  publishers,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
briefly  touching  upon  these  matters. 

The  beginner  in  the  newspaper  business,  when 
brought  up  against  some  perhaps  innocent  violations 
of  labor-union  rules  he  knew  nothing  about,  or  per- 
haps some  seemingly  unreasonable  demand  by  a 
walking  delegate,  is  in  a  sad  plight.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  probably  no  business  in  the  world  is  now  in  a 
sounder  relationship  to  the  various  labor  unions  in- 
volved than  that  of  newspaper-making. 

Through  the  co-operation  between  the  American 
Newspaper  Publishers'  Association  and  the  presidents 
of  the  international  offices  of  the  various  unions, 
over  a  long  period  of  years,  compulsory  arbitration 
agreements  have  been  produced  which  are  gradually 
becoming  more  and  more  satisfactory.  Therefore, 
my  first  advice  to  all  newspaper  pubHshers  is  to  join 
the  A.  N.  P.  A.  to  get  the  advantage  of  its  well-estab- 
lished relation  with  all  of  the  unions  and  the  power  of 
its  insistence  that  they  fulfil  their  obligations. 

I  am  heartily  in  favor  of  the  men  who  work  on  our 


198        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

newspapers  getting  all  the  money  they  can  for  their 
services  and  realize  the  impossibility  of  getting  all 
employers  to  approach  such  discussions  in  the  proper 
spirit  of  fairness. 

There  are,  in  my  opinion,  many  well-founded  reasons 
for  objection  caused  both  by  past  transgressions  of 
the  labor  men  and  by  efforts  of  employers  to  protect 
their  bank  balances.  Unreasonable  exactions  of  time 
within  time,  attempts  to  limit  the  employer's  use  of 
labor  within  the  time  he  pays  for  in  any  reasonable 
way  he  wants,  attempts  to  restrict  the  use  of  expen- 
sive machinery  to  the  small  output  of  incompetent 
journeymen — are  a  few  of  the  sore  spots  which  have 
placed  labor  in  the  bad  graces  of  many  employers. 
To  my  mind  they  should  be  recognized  by  labor  men 
as  serious  handicaps  to  the  best  interests  of  labor. 

From  the  journeyman's  standpoint  the  labor  union 
as  conducted  in  the  past,  while  undoubtedly  beneficial 
to  the  mass,  has  tended  to  defeat  the  natural  inclina- 
tion of  some  to  excel  and  go  upward,  and  held  back 
as  many  men  who  would  have  advanced  as  it  has 
taken  care  of  by  providing  **sits"  for  men  filling  them 
with  discredit  to  the  various  crafts.  Thanks  to  a 
better  understanding  of  these  various  factors  between 
employer  and  employee  in  the  printing  trades,  through 
the  efforts  of  the  A.  N.  P.  A.  we  are  gradually  eliminat- 
ing the  points  of  friction,  but,  naturally,  we  still  have 
some  distance  to  travel  before  attaining  the  ideal. 

Of  coiu-se  a  newspaper  must  be  conducted  for  all  its 
readers  and  labor  matters  should  be  discussed  editori- 
ally just  as  frankly  as  any  other  big  question.  In 
The  Globe  we  commend  or  attack  whichever  side  we 
think  is  right  or  wrong,  in  any  controversy.  We 
sent  Lincoln  Staff  ens  to  Los  Angeles  for  the  McNamara 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        199 

trial  and  published  front-page  specials  from  him 
reflecting  the  side  of  labor,  which  at  first  aroused  a 
strong  spirit  of  antagonism  in  New  York,  but  when 
understood  produced  invitations  for  personal  inter- 
views with  Mr.  Steffens  by  leaders  in  big  business. 

The  Globe  vigorously  opposed  the  imfair  methods 
employed  in  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  to  quell  strikes 
and  prevent  free  speech.  It  has  just  as  frankly 
jumped  on  strikers  where  they  transgressed  the  law 
and  decency. 

The  old  notion  that  a  newspaper  dared  not  criticize 
so  large  an  element  in  the  community  as  the  labor 
people  is  merest  nonsense.  All  the  mass  of  the  people 
want  is  fair  play  and  sincerity,  accuracy,  and  sym- 
pathy with  humanity.  I  have  personally  settled 
several  outside  strikes.  I  know  the  labor  men  as  men. 
Most  of  those  who  have  come  up  from  the  ranks 
realize,  as  I  do,  the  unfairness  of  seeking  to  keep  others 
down.  If  our  labor  rules  were  more  liberal,  and 
permitted  greater  latitude  to  the  proficient,  labor 
collectively  would  derive  large  reward  for  services 
rendered  and  probably  without  loss  of  a  dollar  to  those 
less  competent. 

Few  labor  men  ever  stop  to  think  that  the  employer 
is  devoting  most  of  his  time  trying  to  produce  work 
to  keep  his  employees  occupied.  Statistics  show  that 
it  is  only  the  last  few  cents  on  any  dollar  earned  that 
sticks  clear  through  to  the  dividend.  Labor  should 
understand  that,  as  it  becomes  more  interested  in  the 
success  of  the  establishment,  it  will  get  higher  rewards 
during  good  times  if,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  more  rea- 
sonable and  disposed  to  co-operation  during  the  pinches. 

I  don't  dream  of  the  ideal,  but  know  there  can  be 

closer  and  more  satisfactory  contact. 
15 


PART  y 

Advertising      ^ 

Question  of  Rate  Cards — Charts  and  Sys^ 

terns  for   Advertising  Records — Develop' 

ment  of  Advertising  and  the  Expansion 

of  a  City's  Trade 


XXVII 

The  Rate  Card 

The  making  of  an  advertising  rate  card  for  a  news- 
paper is  a  matter  which  has  not  received  sufficient 
intelligent  and  scientific  consideration  in  the  past. 
Our  newspaper-owners  have  been  too  prone  to  leave 
this  important  detail  to  incompetent  subordinates  or 
fixed  it  on  the  basis  of  what  the  traffic  would  bear, 
rather  than  on  the  basis  of  what  they  must  secure  in 
order  to  remain  solvent. 

Referring  to  the  cost-finding  system,  covered  in 
another  chapter,  the  man  who  seeks  to  issue  a  new 
safe  and  sane  rate  card  must  carefully  consider  the 
complicated  and  peculiar  character  of  his  relations  with 
the  advertisers  of  his  town,  letting  the  foreign  adver- 
tisers fall  in  as  an  added  event,  so  to  speak.  Our 
newspapers  must  be  primarily  adjusted  to  meet  local 
conditions,  so  that  the  man  who  wants  to  break  into 
our  community  to  take  trade  away  from  it  shall  be 
compelled  to  pay  cost,  plus  a  profit  on  the  space  he 
buys. 

No  daily  newspaper  can  survive  on  support  from 
out-of-town  advertisers.  Such  business  seldom 
amounts  to  as  much  as  20  per  cent,  of  the  total  vol- 
time.  In  the  case  of  the  smaller  newspapers  it  seldom 
runs  up  to  over  10  per  cent. 

Starting  with  the  net  average  rate  which  our  cost- 


204        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

finding  system  has  shown  us  we  must  secure  in 
order  to  live,  2>^  cents  per  line,  we  shall  probably 
find  that  six  or  eight  of  our  largest  local  customers 
using  perhaps  1,000,000  lines  of  space  paid  about  14 
cents  per  inch.  In  order  to  work  out  our  plan  these 
shotdd  be  increased  to,  say,  21  cents  an  inch.  Next 
we  shall  find  ten  or  twelve  stores  which  have  paid, 
say,  21  cents  an  inch.  These  must  be  boosted  to  28 
cents  an  inch  at  the  start  if  we  are  going  to  make 
our  plan  effective.  There  are,  say,  500,000  lines  of 
this  business.  Next  we  come  to  a  group  of  miscel- 
laneous rates  yielding,  say,  28  cents  an  inch,  or  2 
cents  a  line,  amounting  to  another  500,000  lines. 
These  must  be  gradually  forced  up  to  35  cents  an 
inch,  or  2^4  cents  a  line.  Thus,  we  find  that  2,000,000 
lines  of  the  business  the  paper  has  been  running  has 
brought  in  less  than  the  average  net  rate;  1,000,000  at 
I  cent  equals  $10,000;  500,000  at  1^  cents  equals 
$7,500;  and  500,000  at  2  cents  equals  $10,000,  a 
total  of  2,000,000  line^  which  produced  $27,500,  or 
$12,500  less  than  $40,000,  which  it  would  figure  at  2 
cents  per  line. 

This  would  leave  our  last  1,000,000  lines  to  produce 
3>^  cents  a  line  to  bring  our  full  average  up  to  2 
cents  for  the  whole  3,000,000  lines. 

If  we  advance  our  rates  as  above  indicated  the 
increased  earnings  will  be:  1,000,000  at  i>^  cents 
equals  $15,000;  500,000  at  2  cents  equals  $10,000,  and 
500,000  at  2>^  cents  $12,500,  a  total  of  $37,500.  An 
advance  of  J^  a  cent  per  line  in  the  average  of  the 
remaining  1,000,000  lines  to  3^  cents  will  yield 
$3 7 » 500,  a  total  of  $75,000,  which  will  give  us  our 
average  oi  2}4  cents.  This  I  should  consider  as  a 
mere  starting  point  in  the  evolution.     It  may  take 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        205 

some  time  to  secure  the  advance  all  along  the  line,  but 
the  result  is  worth  the  effort  and  is  essential  to  success. 

Regarding  estimates  of  temporary  loss  in  making 
such  an  adjustment,  I  should  allow  a  sum  equal  to 
say  15  per  cent,  to  cover  all  temporary  withdrawals, 
and  10  per  cent,  as  net  increases  produced  during  the 
first  year,  or  probably  5  per  cent,  of  $1,200  loss. 

After  the  end  of  the  year  the  earnings  would  be  up 
25  per  cent.,  so  at  a  cost  of  less  than  10  per  cent,  of 
the  total  increased  revenue  for  one  year,  the  prop- 
erty would  be  on  a  sound  enough  basis  to  secure 
credit  from  a  bank  if  necessary  for  development. 
Incident  to  the  raising  of  rates  you  will  undoubtedly 
encounter  the  stone- wall  resistance  of  those  who  hate 
to  pay  more  than  they  think  they  have  to.  It  is  up 
to  you  to  prove  that  they  must  pay  you  cost,  plus  a 
reasonable  profit.  If  you  cannot  do  this  you  had 
better  withdraw  from  the  contest  before  the  sheriff 
closes  you  out.  When  once  you  have  your  house  in 
order  you  should  push  forward  in  getting  out  a  better 
newspaper  which  will  gain  larger  circulation,  and  then 
by  gradual  stages  bring  the  different  classes  of  busi- 
ness nearer  together — I  mean  by  raising  the  rates  of 
the  big  users  nearer  to  those  the  smaller  ones  pay. 

While  I  believe  that  the  volume  advertisements  of 
the  big  stores  have  almost  as  much  interest  to  your 
women  readers  as  the  news  in  your  news  columns,  they 
should  be  forced  to  pay  at  least  cost  of  production, 
for  the  long  haul.  These  merchants  could  not  do 
business  without  newspaper  advertising.  In  the  up- 
building process  never  lose  courage  because  any  single 
firm  or  group  of  firms  temporarily  withdraws  and 
seeks  to  give  the  impression  that  it  is  going  to  get 
along  without  using  your  newspaper.     The  chances 


2o6        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

are  that  by  doing  without  these  advertisers  at  a  los- 
ing rate  for  a  short  period  you  will  find  you  have 
actually  made  money. 

Except  in  a  highly  competitive  field  like  New  York 
City,  I  don't  know  of  a  single  town  outside  of  Pitts- 
burg where  the  big  stores  could  remain  in  business 
without  using  advertising  space  in  practically  every 
real  newspaper.  Pittsburg,  like  New  York,  is  over- 
newspapered  and  the  merchants  secure  ruinous  rates 
by  the  old  process  of  playing  one  newspaper  against 
the  other.  In  the  long  run  even  such  a  process  swings 
back  your  way  on  your  own  terms  if  you  make  up 
your  mind  to  sit  tight  until  it  does. 

Keep  improving  your  newspaper  and  demonstrating 
results  for  other  advertisers  and  natural  laws  will 
bring  the  wandering  sheep  back  into  the  fold.  Re- 
member that  people  don't  advertise  just  for  fun  or 
simply  to  see  their  names  in  print.  If  your  space  can 
be  used  with  profit,  and  it  is  up  to  you  to  produce 
such  a  condition,  the  chances  are  that  the  merchants 
want  the  space  more  than  you  want  them  to  buy  it. 
The  battle  is  merely  a  question  of  their  ability  to  buy 
cheaper  than  you  should  sell  for.  The  sooner  you 
realize  that  the  men  who  have  scored  success  and  are 
winning  fortunes  have  done  so  by  sweating  down 
prices  on  all  they  buy  and  securing  the  highest  possible 
prices  on  heavy  traffic  through  newspaper  advertising, 
the  better  off  you  will  be. 

The  merchant  prince  seeks  to  convince  the  news- 
paper men  that  he  is  making  them  rich  and  pajring 
too  much  for  advertising  space.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
after  investigating  rates  and  costs  in  many  cities,  I 
have  discovered  only  four  newspapers  that  get  cost 
from  the  heavy  users  of  space. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        207 

For  the  well-being  and  prosperity  of  any  newspaper 
property,  I  believe  that  the  most  effective  work  can 
be  done  in  stimulating  the  growth  of  the  small  local 
advertiser.  To  enable  him  to  get  results  at  the  higher 
rates  he  should  receive  desirable  positions  where  his 
smaller  copy  will  attract  the  most  attention.  In  this 
detail  The  Philadelphia  Bulletin  has  been  notably 
successful.  In  a  big  city  it  takes  about  two  years  to 
get  such  an  account  firmly  on  its  feet,  owing  to  compe- 
tition and  bad  advice  given  the  prospect  by  those 
envious  of  your  having  secured  it. 


XXVIII 

Discounts  and  Rates 

At  a  conference  of  the  business-managers  of  several 
of  the  most  successful  newspapers  in  the  country  I 
started  a  round-table  discussion  as  to  the  best  form  of 
rate  card. 

As  a  concensus  of  the  opinions  expressed  I  reached 
this  conclusion:  The  best  rate  card  should  provide 
a  high  one-time  rate,  with  heavy  discount  for  a  very 
small  contract,  and  then  by  gradual  further  discounts 
reach  a  fair  minimum  below  which  no  business  should 
be  taken. 

It  was  further  shown  that  a  very  small  discount 
from  the  lowest  rate  for  a  volume,  just  a  shade  above 
the  ordinary  limits  of  the  big  users,  is  desirable  to  keep 
them  running  at  top  speed. 

Discounts  for  full  copy  every  month  and  for  the  full 
year  have  been  successful  in  producing  much  addi- 
tional space  for  certain  newspapers  that  they  would 
not  have  secured  in  the  absence  of  such  a  provision. 

Of  course  the  merchants  object  to  being  speeded 
up,  but  if  they  can  *'buy  cheaper"  that  way  it  is 
remarkable  how  most  of  them  will  join  the  "fiill- 
copy"  procession. 

If  we  concede  that  all  advertisers  are  seeking  to 
get  lower  rates  it  is  up  to  the  newspapers  to  seek  the 
largest  volume  they  can  get  at  profitable  rates. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        209 

Taking  into  consideration  all  of  these  factors,  I  am 
going  to  build  up  a  basic  outline  of  a  rate  card  which 
I  believe  provides  an  admirable  working  formula, 
subject  to  modification  to  meet  local  conditions,  for 
the  specimen  newspaper  set  up  in  previous  chapters. 

Local  Rates 

One  time 5  cents 

1,000  lines  to  be  used  in  year,  or  fifty  lines  every 

week 4  cents 

10,000  lines  to  be  used  in  year,  or  100  lines  every 

week 4>^  cents 

50,000  lines  to  be  used  in  year,  or  300  lines  every 

week 4  cents 

150,000  lines  to  be  used  in  year,  or  one  page  a 

week sj4  cents 

Full  copy — 

10  per  cent,  discount  on  all  contracts  for  full  space  every 

month,  for  year,  allowed  every  month,  with  provision 

for  short  rate  in  case  of  later  failure  to  make  good. 

Regarding  foreign  rates,  I  would  add  that  a  higher 
price  must  be  asked,  inasmuch  as  this  class  of  business 
involves  an  agent's  commission  of  from  15  to  25 
per  cent.,  and  perhaps  another  commission  of  from  10 
to  25  per  cent,  to  a  special  representative  in  the  case 
of  many  small  newspapers,  plus  demands  for  much 
special  service,  nearly  all  of  which  is  absent  in  the 
case  of  local  business. 

Regardless  of  the  howls,  laments,  and  growls  of  the 
distant  advertising  agent  for  the  adoption  of  a  low 
fiat  rate,  I  would  advise  the  outlying  smaller  publisher 
to  demand  a  Hving  rate  or  forego  the  business.  Argu- 
ments that  foreign  business  comes  in  plate  and 
requires  no  composition,  etc.,  etc.,  should  be  ignored, 
as   it   always    demands    positions    that    would   not 


2IO        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

ordinarily  go  to  local  customers  as  a  "must"  unless 
paid  for. 

Every  time  a  newspaper  sells  any  position  better 
than  next  following  or  alongside  of  reading  matter, 
almost  regardless  of  the  price  secured,  it  involves 
itself  in  added  loss.  Position  advertisements  require 
larger  newspapers,  added  pages,  and  prevent  the 
proper  presentation  of  news  to  create  the  greatest 
good-will  value  of  a  newspaper.  Our  newspapers 
should  look  upon  their  space  as  the  storekeepers  view 
their  show-windows  and  the  heavy  traffic  points  in 
their  stores. 

Our  first-page  is  the  sign  over  otir  store.  Our 
second  and  third  pages  are  our  principal  show- 
windows.  Our  newspaper  as  a  newspSLper  can  most 
effectively  be  made  big  or  tmmade  by  the  way  we 
hold  these  pages.  If  we  permit  any  advertising  in  the 
second  and  third  pages,  I  believe  it  should  be  forced 
to  pay  price  and  a  half  or  double  rates.  We  seek  to 
make  the  rate  prohibitive  for  these  pages  in  The  Globe, 
but  some  advertisers  insist  on  hnying  places  in  our 
show-windows. 

Reverting  to  our  rate  card,  few  general  advertisers 
use  heavier  space  than  10,000  lines.  As  my  ultimate 
rate  for  carrying  on  the  property  by  the  first  reckoning 
was  3.7  cents  per  line,  I  should  add  on  the  extras  to 
establish  a  flat  rate  of  6}4  cents  per  line,  or  91  cents 
per  inch.  Deducting  15  per  cent,  commission  and  15 
per  cent,  for  special  representation,  you  would  net 
sufficient  to  care  for  any  reasonable  special  service 
and  the  measure  of  special  positions  unavoidable  in 
many  cases.  Above  all  else  in  conducting  your 
relations  with  the  advertising  agencies  establish  your 
rate  and  stick  to  it  against  every  effort  on  the  part  of 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        211 

agency  space-buyers  to  secure  commissions  either  in 
regard  to  position,  price,  terms,  readers,  or  anything 
else. 

It  may  take  you  a  year  or  two  longer  to  arrive  as  a 
one-rate  newspaper,  but  when  you  do  you  will  have 
profited  by  waiting.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  agencies 
would  rather  do  business  with  one-rate  newspapers, 
but  never  admit  this  until  they  have  tried  every 
scheme  mortal  can  devise  to  break  down  rates. 

While  theoretically  the  agent  is  paid  his  commission 
by  the  newspaper,  he  seldom  acknowledges  the  fact 
that  he  is  working  for  it.  He  takes  a  commission  from 
the  newspaper,  but  represents  the  advertiser  who  pays 
the  bill. 

It  has  been  openly  charged  that  the  advertising 
agent  prefers  to  use  the  magazines  for  material 
accounts  because  he  can  earn  his  money  with  less 
effort  and  expense.  He  can  use  up  an  appropriation 
of  $250,000  in  a  single  medium  instead  of  several 
hundred  newspapers.  National  advertising  is  now 
swinging  definitely  away  from  the  so-called  national 
mediums  to  the  newspapers. 

By  fighting  for  a  one-rate  position — a  rate  that  will 
pay  its  way — and  conceding  a  flat  rate  on  this  type 
of  business  our  newspapers  will  be  building  on  a  solid 
foundation.  The  day  of  the  rate  card  that  no  two 
men  could  figure  alike  has  gone  by.  Simplification 
and  standardization  are  the  order  of  the  day.  Each 
newspaper  must  figure  its  individual  costs  and  get 
this,  plus  a  profit,  if  it  is  to  endure. 

Too  many  of  our  advertising  managers  and  solicitors 
have  a  mistaken  notion  of  what  they  are  selling  the 
advertiser.  Brought  face  to  face  with  the  buyer  of 
space,  they  permit  him  to  place  them  in  the  wrong 


M2        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

position  and  at  a  disadvantage.  When  once  the 
advertising  prospect  is  nursed  past  the  doubtful  stage 
and  realizes  what  advertising  will  do  for  him,  he  will 
naturally  seek  more  advertising  as  the  law  of  gravity 
forces  water  to  run  down-hill. 

The  newspaper  only  sells  the  advertiser  the  right  to 
address  its  readers  in  its  columns  upon  terms  and 
conditions  fair  to  other  customers  and  to  itself.  The 
sooner  the  newspaper-man  brings  himself  to  a  full 
realization  of  his  true  position  the  sooner  will  he  change 
over  from  the  notion  that  the  advertiser,  by  using  his 
newspaper,  is  bestowing  a  favor  on  him.  If  it  were 
not  for  advertising,  our  newspapers  would  be  selling 
for  three,  four,  or  five  cents  per  copy.  Through  the 
sale  of  advertising  space  we,  in  exchange  for  oppor- 
tunity to  address  our  readers,  permit  merchants  to 
co-operate  in  giving  the  reader  a  cheaper  newspaper. 

Every  time  we  convince  an  advertiser  of  the  truth 
of  this  theory  the  better  and  more  satisfactory  our 
relations  with  him  become.  As  newspaper  advertising 
is  essential  to  modem  merchandizing,  and  circulation 
a  necessity  of  fruitful  advertising,  the  interests  of  ad- 
vertiser and  publisher  are  mutual  and  should  be 
recognized  as  such. 

In  the  case  of  The  Globe  the  relation  we  have  estab- 
lished with  many  advertisers  on  the  basis  of  mutual 
understanding  has  been  most  satisfactory  and  profit- 
able to  them  and  to  us.  Of  course  there  always  are 
those  who  seek  more  than  they  are  willing  to  pay  for, 
but  in  time  they  see  the  advantage  of  doing  business 
on  right  principles. 

The  reader  should  be  made  to  carry  his  share  of  the 
added  expense,  either  by  increasing  the  price  of  your 
paper  to  two  cents  per  copy,  by  the  reduction  of  the 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        213 

amount  of  reading  matter  furnished  for  one  cent,  or 
by  economies  of  production.  You  can  justifiably  ask 
your  advertisers  to  carry  their  share  of  the  load,  what- 
ever it  may  be,  without  having  made  it  too  onerous. 

Following  the  191 7  large  advance  in  the  price  of 
paper,  several  of  my  newspaper  friends  foolishly 
raised  rates  25  or  50  per  cent.,  only  to  lose  much  busi- 
ness that  would  have  continued  on  an  advance  of,  say 
10  per  cent,  to-day,  and  10  per  cent,  in  two  or  three 
months. 

Our  advertisers  cannot  assimilate  too  heavy  a 
charge  any  more  than  we  can.  We  must  give  them 
reasonable  notice  and  time  to  work  out  their 
problems. 

In  the  case  of  newspapers  selling  space  on  yearly 
contracts  the  increase  in  advertising  rates  is  often  a 
long-drawn-out  process.  All  advertisers  generally 
get  notice  that  they  may  continue  on  the  present 
basis  by  making  a  contract  for  a  full  year  before  a 
certain  date. 

This  means  virtually  a  year  of  old  rates  under  most 
circumstances,  with  only  new  advertisers  or  transients 
at  the  new  rate.  War  conditions  justify  war  measures. 
Quite  a  number  of  small  city  pubHshers  explained  to 
me  that  they  could  not  live  through  the  year  191 7  un- 
less they  could  produce  immediate  additional  revenue 
from  their  advertisers.  I  recommended  to  them  the 
successful  experience  of  a  small  Southern  publisher, 
who  merely  made  an  announcement  like  this; 

NOTICE  TO  ADVERTISERS 
Until  further  notice,  on  account  of  war  conditions 
and  higher  cost  of  print  paper  and  suppHes,  The  News 
will  make  no  advertising  contracts  for  a  full  year,  as 
in  the  past. 


214        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

Advertising  rates  will  be  made  known  from  month 
to  month,  and  only  hold  for  the  month  announced. 

As  soon  as  any  existing  contract  expires  the  advertiser 
will  be  quoted  the  monthly  rate  that  he  will  be  entitled 
to  on  the  basis  of  discoimt  the  volume  of  his  business 
entitles  him. 

This  virtually  produces  added  revenue  overnight. 
It  provides  for  raising  or  reducing  rates  as  circum- 
stances demand.  You  do  not  have  to  ask  your 
advertisers  to  tie  themselves  up  at  a  high  emergency 
rate  for  a  full  year.  As  contracts  are  expiring  from 
week  to  week  throughout  the  year  it  would  not  take 
long  to  commence  to  feel  the  benefits  from  such  a 
process  for  meeting  an  emergency. 

Of  course,  in  the  case  of  newspapers  operating  under 
a  fiat  rate,  without  contracts,  it  is  an  easy  matter 
gradually  to  transfer  part  of  the  burden  of  increased 
costs  to  the  advertisers. 


XXIX 

Use  of  Graphic  Charts  for  Visualizing  Comparative 

Records 

After  years  of  careful  observation,  I  have  arrived 
at  the  conclusion  that  the  use  of  the  so-called  graphic 
charts  provides  the  ideal  method  for  visualizing 
newspaper  records  and  different  points  of  efficiency. 

For  example,  the  form  of  Chart  A  gives  a  better 
idea  of  the  gymnastics  of  The  New  York  Globe's  cir- 
culation for  the  period  of  six  and  a  half  years  than 
would  any  table  of  figures.  Notwithstanding  the  sea- 
sonal sweeps  in  the  curves,  each  year  generally  starts 
higher  and  ends  higher  than  the  one  preceding  it. 

I  have  found  the  charts  of  inestimable  use  in 
keeping  records  of  results  in  advertising.  In  Chart  B 
is  reflected  a  comparative  record  of  the  total  volume 
of  advertising  carried  by  a  newspaper.  In  Chart  C 
is  a  record  of  financial  advertising  as  easy  to  construct 
as  it  is  simple  to  read. 

Chart  D  produces  a  new  vision,  for  example,  re- 
garding women's  specialty-shop  advertising  in  New 
York  City  with  the  two  great  peaks,  March  and 
October,  very  clearly  defined.  Such  a  chart  dis- 
proves the  frequently  conceived  fallacy  that  anything 
in  real  life  runs  exactly  regular  except  unproved  cir- 
culation statements. 

Other  uses  of  the  graph  are  shown  in  E,  F,  and  G, 

14 


2i6        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

for  comparative  records  of  expenses,  total,  by  de- 
partment, or  for  any  or  all  items.  Personally  I  have 
a  separate  loose-leaf  book  which  has  a  graph  for 
each  of  the  i8o-odd  items,  covering  a  series  of  six 
years'  experience. 

Whenever  an  item  seems  to  be  crawling  up,  and 
as  most  things  do  habitually  in  a  newspaper  office,  a 
glance  through  a  single  graph  covering  that  item 
shows  whether  it  is  a  seasonal  bulge  or  a  mere  joy 
ride  by  the  department  executive. 

Chart  H,  covering  print-paper  consumption,  has 
tremendous  interest  to  most  newspaper  publishers 
during  a  year  like  191 7.  The  chart  shows  what  cuts 
in  consumption  we  made  in  The  Globe  office  in  October, 
1 91 6,  in  endeavoring  to  keep  within  our  tonnage 
allotment.  Continued  through  191 7  the  chart  graph- 
ically indicates  a  saving  of  from  200  to  300  tons  a 
month  in  consumption. 

Still  other  uses  of  the  graphs  are  shown  in  I,  J, 
and  K.  Here  numerals  written  representing  "hun- 
dreds" of  dollars  take  the  place  of  the  curves  shown 
in  the  other  forms. 

It  is  a  comparatively  simple  thing  for  any  news- 
paper plant  to  make  a  line  cut  showing  the  lines  on 
these  graphs,  which  can  be  printed  at  trifling  expense. 
By  having  a  margin  along  the  side  or  top,  punch-holes 
can  be  cut  for  keeping  the  graphs  in  a  loose-leaf 
holder. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        217 


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XXX 

Take  Your  Own  Medicine 

The  weakest  point  in  most  organizations  is  the 
advertising  department.  I  say  this  without  any 
purpose  of  criticizing  the  many  able  men  who  are 
rendering  the  best  and  most  effective  service  permitted 
them. 

It  is  really  pathetic  to  see  a  business  which  itself 
is  largely  dependent  upon  advertising  unwilling  to  take 
its  own  medicine,  as  it  were.  When  our  trade  papers 
urge  newspapers  to  advertise,  we  are  too  apt  to  look 
upon  their  arguments  as  mere  selling  talk.  This  is 
all  wrong.  I  have  proved,  to  my  own  satisfaction,  at 
least,  in  the  case  of  The  Globe  that  liberal  trade-paper 
advertising  pays,  and  pays  handsomely.  We  have 
literally  put  The  Globe  on  the  map,  so  to  speak,  through 
consistent  and  serious  trade-paper  advertising.  Two 
or  three  years  ago,  when  I  visited  outlying  advertisers 
and  agencies,  I  was  much  chagrined  to  find  how  little 
they  knew  about  The  Globe. 

The  whole  thing  is  changed  to-day.  The  usual 
first  salutation  is,  ''I  want  to  congratulate  you  on  the 
progress  The  Globe  has  been  making."  When  asked 
how  they  know  about  this  growth,  the  general  answer 
is,  **I  see  your  advertisements  in  the  trade  papers." 
I  know,  because  I  have  been  through  the  mill.  We 
have  spent  about  $15,000  or  $20,000  a  year  for  this 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        229 

advertising,  which  is  a  very  small  percentage  on  the 
volume  of  business  we  do,  judged  by  the  standards  we 
urge  our  advertisers  to  apply  to  their  businesses. 

There  is  not  a  competent  advertising  manager  in 
the  country  who  will  not  agree  with  me  that  he  could 
materially  increase  the  volume  of  advertising  carried 
by  his  newspaper  if  permitted  to  take  more  of  his  own 
medicine  and  advertise  the  advertising  he  is  trying  to 
sell.  In  many  cases,  I  think  almost  as  a  rule,  news- 
papers are  the  poorest  advertisers  of  their  own  wares 
of  all  business  men. 

What  the  distant  advertiser  or  agent  wants  to  know 
regarding  a  newspaper  is  the  sort  of  material  that 
should  be  assembled  in  your  trade-paper  advertise- 
ments. Intimate  statements  of  things  the  paper  is 
doing  and  solid  arguments  proving  its  excuse  for 
existing  give  the  proper  angle.  Mere  circulation 
figures  and  statements  showing  growth  in  volume  of 
advertising  are  only  of  incidental  use. 

We  explain  to  advertisers  who  do  not  get  results 
from  their  advertising  in  our  newspapers  that  they 
fail  because  their  copy  doesn't  inspire  confidence  or 
is  not  sufficiently  attractive  to  secure  the  attention  of 
readers.  A  most  casual  study  of  the  advertising  of 
newspapers  in  the  trade  papers  indicates  that  the  men 
who  prepare  the  copy  do  not  give  the  matter  the 
consideration  it  should  have. 

The  trouble  in  most  newspaper  offices  is  that  they 
look  upon  advertising  as  something  that  must  be 
sold,  and  take  too  little  interest  in  helping  to  make 
it  stay  sold.  Any  maniifacturer  of  any  worth-while 
commodity  follows  up  the  sale  of  his  goods  with  various 
dealers  to  help  move  the  goods,  while  our  manufac- 
turers of  advertising  too  often  think  all  they  have  to 


230        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

do  is  to  take  the  customers'  money  in  exchange  for 
space. 

This  old-fashioned  newspaper  conception  of  adver- 
tising is  a  hand-me-down  of  the  period  when  news- 
papers could  live  on  circulation  receipts  alone,  and 
advertising  was  looked  upon  as  a  mere  necessary- 
evil.  As  we  all  know,  our  present-day  great  news- 
papers would  not  be  a  possibility  without  a  certain 
basic  volume  of  advertising. 

The  older  I  grow  in  newspaper  experience  the  more 
I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  trouble  with  modem 
newspaper  advertising  is  that  we  sell  it  too  cheaply. 
With  the  present  general  standard  of  from  40  to  60 
columns  of  news  for  the  average  one-cent  paper  are 
not  some  publishers  foolish  to  sell  advertising  at 
such  low  rates  that  they  are  compelled  to  get  out  from 
24  to  48  page  papers  ? 

I  sincerely  think  that  it  would  be  better  policy  to 
raise  the  barriers  so  as  to  limit  the  volume.  Every 
one  concerned  would  make  money  by  the  change. 
The  big  department  stores,  which  buy  whole  pages 
and  double  trucks  more  largely  to  demonstrate  their 
ability  so  to  do  than  for  any  other  reason,  could 
probably  do  just  as  much  business  with  two  columns 
at  a  much  higher  rate. 

In  expressing  these  views  I  am  not  merely  dreaming 
out  loud,  as  it  were,  but  giving  the  result  of  some 
recent  experience  which  seems  to  prove  the  accuracy 
of  my  theory.  When  the  paper  shortage  occurred, 
in  October,  we  could  not  get  paper  for  more  than  a 
sixteen-page  paper  for  every  day  until  the  end  of 
the  year.  Much  against  our  natural  inclinations,  we 
had  to  leave  out  many  columns  of  possible  business 
every  day. 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        231 

Our  policy  was  to  take  care  of  as  many  of  our 
customers  as  possible  and  arbitrarily  to  limit  the 
volume  from  any  of  them.  Firms  that  ordinarily 
used  full-pages  were  limited  to  three  columns,  firms 
which  used  five  columns  were  limited  to  two  columns, 
and  so  on  down  the  line.  The  net  result  was  that 
we  were  crowded  to  capacity  every  day,  and  prob- 
ably made  more  money  than  if  we  had  been  tempted 
to  go  up  to  bigger  papers  every  time  the  volume 
required  it. 

Regarding  solicitors,  my  observation  clearly  points 
out  that  the  ordinary  angle  of  attack  is  defective. 
Instead  of  using  salesmen  or  training  our  solicitors 
to  become  real  salesmen,  there  is  too  much  copy- 
chasing  indulged  in.  The  advertising  business  offers 
too  high  rewards  for  successful  salesmen  to  clutter 
up  our  forces  with  a  lot  of  brainless  copy-chasers. 

Advertising  management  has  been  wonderfully  de- 
veloped during  the  past  twenty  or  twenty-five  years, 
yet  far  too  many  publishers  still  continue  to  insist 
on  the  old-style  methods  being  carried  out.  To-day 
our  most  efficient  advertising  manager  is  a  man  who, 
by  sheer  force  of  conscientious  and  intelligent  service, 
is  received  by  the  leading  business  men  of  the  com- 
munity as  a  welcome  and  valued  adviser. 

No  one  who  has  not  been  through  the  mill,  as  it 
were,  is  in  a  position  to  judge  how  seriously  the 
average  advertising-manager  is  handicapped  by  his 
superiors.  I  mean  by  editors,  publishers,  and  busi- 
ness managers.  Instead  of  gladly  doing  what  they 
can  to  make  it  easier  for  him  to  sell  the  space  that  helps 
pay  aU  salaries,  there  is  too  often  a  slap  in  the  face 
through  implied  disdain  of  the  salesman. 

When  I  suggest  that  the  advertising  manager,  to 


232        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

produce  best  results,  should  have  the  support  of  all 
other  executives,  I  do  not  suggest  any  lowering  of 
ordinary  standards  of  editorial  or  publishing  ethics. 
The  advertising  manager  sells  space,  plus  many  other 
factors.  His  own  personality  is  an  item.  His  picture 
of  what  the  newspaper  stands  for  is  another.  His 
picture  of  the  class  of  people  who  read  it  is  another. 
It  is  only  as  our  advertising  manager  intelligently 
reflects  a  proper  visualization  of  the  paper  to  the 
business  men  and  advertisers  of  the  community 
personally  and  through  his  solicitors  that  he  can 
approximate  the  possibilities  of  his  field.  Therefore, 
the  closer  he  is  taken  to  the  hearts  of  editors  and 
others  near  the  soul  of  the  newspaper  the  better  he 
can  do  the  work  he  is  expected  to  do. 

The  deeper  I  look  into  advertising  management  as 
a  general  subject,  the  more  convinced  I  am  that  our 
best  solicitors  are  the  young  cubs  that  we  bring  up 
in  our  own  offices.  In  a  small  office,  one  thoroughly 
equipped  advertising  man  of  the  type  that  can 
impress  leadership  and  dominance  on  a  selected 
crew  of  ambitious  novices  will  produce  better  results 
than  several  low -average  men  working  at  cross 
purposes. 

In  larger  offices,  where  conditions  will  warrant 
heavier  expense,  I  think  that  best  results  are  obtain- 
able through  the  employment  of  the  best  specialists 
that  can  be  obtained  to  carry  through  to  success  the 
different  plans  undertaken.  For  example,  for  real 
estate  advertising,  a  solicitor  who  has  had  practical 
experience  in  the  real  estate  business  can  find  an 
easier  approach  and  do  more  constructive  work  than 
one  who  merely  seeks  to  sell  space. 

Likewise,  all  through,  the  advertising  department 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        233 

should  be  equipped  with  men  who  know  as  much 
about  the  lines  of  business  they  solicit  as  is  possible, 
or  the  young  men  who  are  to  follow  up  the  business 
should  be  impressed  with  the  desirability  of  closely 
studying  business  as  the  easiest  road  to  their  own 
advancement. 

A  system  by  which  all  solicitors  must  make  frequent 
reports  on  accounts  on  their  individual  lists,  and  re- 
assignments  of  items  on  which  satisfactory  progress 
has  not  been  shown,  is  healthful.  This  business  can 
be  done  in  a  way  to  build  up  a  finer  spirit  of  co- 
operation among  the  men  than  anything  I  have  ever 
heard  of.  If  all  the  solicitors  are  taught  to  believe 
that  it  is  business  for  the  paper  they  all  seek,  either 
personally  or  as  a  team,  their  work  will  be  more 
effective. 

Wide  and  diversified  experience,  tabulated  after 
inquiry  among  many  newspapers,  large  and  small, 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  a  total  expense  of  ten  per 
cent,  of  the  volume  of  business  done  is  an  average 
charge  to  cover  all  and  every  item  of  expense  in 
connection  with  the  advertising  department  and  pro- 
motional work. 

I  have  seen  some  newspapers  which  were  operating 
on  as  narrow  a  margin  as  six  per  cent,  and  others  which 
have  ranged  up  about  the  fifteen-per-cent.  mark. 
Some  of  the  present-day  big  successes  have  until 
very  recently  spent  practically  nothing  on  their 
advertising  departments,  just  letting  business  trickle 
in  past  the  barriers  if  it  would. 

There  are  great  properties  which,  through  lack  of 
inteUigent  up-to-date  grasp  of  best  present-day  effi- 
ciencies, are  doing  nothing  toward  future  development, 
just  taking  the  cream  off  the  milk,  as  it  were,  afraid 


234        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

to  advance  rates  to  a  living  basis,  which  could  increase 
their  earnings  by  fifty  per  cent,  or  more  if  they  would 
wake  up. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  newspapers  of  the 
more  or  less  doubtful  class  which  so  concentrate  their 
energies  on  advertising  promotion  that  they  almost 
lose  sight  of  the  desirability  for  getting  out  creditable 
newspapers.  They  do  not  realize  that  in  their  rush 
for  volume  they  are  seriously  injuring  the  possibility 
of  satisfactory  results  for  their  customers. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  successful  general 
advertisers  in  the  country  told  me  he  could  not  get 
profitable  results  from  a  certain  very  important  news- 
paper. He  said  he  knew  it  should  produce  results 
for  him,  but  that  after  repeated  trials  he  was  forced 
to  give  it  the  go-by.  He  said  he  thought  it  was 
because  this  newspaper  carried  too  large  a  volume  of 
business. 

During  the  past  year  I  have  been  much  pleased  to 
see  the  way  many  important  men  in  the  advertising 
business  have  been  swinging  around  to  the  **  higher 
rate"  "pay  for  preferred  position"  basis.  It  is  up 
to  the  newspapers  to  maintain  the  paper  market  on  a 
normal  basis  by  effecting  economies  in  the  use  of 
paper,  by  increasing  rates  and  discouraging  the 
spread-eagle  use  of  space  by  those  disposed  to  take 
advantage  of  their  foolishness  in  almost  giving  away 
space. 

With  higher  rates  our  newspapers  would  be  able 
to  give  our  advertising  managers  a  liberal  enough 
appropriation  to  enable  them  to  maintain  competent 
promotional  departments  for  the  development  of  the 
immensely  rich  possibilities  of  their  fields  and  greater 
service  to  the  community. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        235 

Where  the  proper  relationship  exists  between  news- 
paper and  merchants  it  will  not  be  found  difficult  to 
make  clear  the  necessity  for  co-operation  and  mutual 
concessions  during  any  period  of  unprecedented  hard- 
ship inflicted  upon  the  business  of  the  country. 


XXXI 

Visualizing  Your  City 

Herewith  I  am  presenting  sample  pages  of  a  survey 
which  I  have  prepared  for  the  use  of  newspaper 
pubHshers  to  show  them  how  they  can  explain  to 
advertisers  the  effectiveness  of  daily  newspaper  adver- 
tising and  co-operation.  This  is  easily  the  most  im- 
portant and  far-reaching  service  that  a  newspaper 
can  render  to  enable  the  distant  advertiser  to  grasp 
the  possibilities  of  its  town  as  a  market  place  for  his 
goods.  No  matter  how  big  or  small  your  city,  at  a 
distance  it  is  a  mere  dot  on  the  map  to  the  man 
in  another  part  of  the  country  who  wants  to  do  busi- 
ness there.  By  the  map  and  the  lists  of  dealers,  plus 
other  information,  you  can  put  before  him  at  no  cost 
information  that  would  cost  him  hundreds  or  thou- 
sands of  dollars  to  procure. 

Each  newspaper  publisher  knows  his  own  town 
better  than  almost  any  one  else  in  it.  In  an  hour  or 
so  he  can  make  up  a  survey  substantially  like  the 
sample  pages  herewith  at  no  expense.  The  value  of 
an  assembled  group  of  such  surveys  covering  all  the 
selling  centers  of  the  country  would  be  inestimable. 
Our  friends  the  magazine  and  bill-board  people  have 
for  years  secured  much  business  which  should  have 
gone  to  the  newspapers  largely  through  collection  and 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 


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238        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

presentation  of  information  along  similar  lines,  not 
half  so  valuable  as  we  can  procure. 

Each  page  of  the  stur-ey  should  be  the  size  of  a  full 
letter-sheet,  the  group  being  neatly  slipped  into  cheap 
brown  slip-covers  usually  used  in  filing  cabinets. 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  prepare  the  map  (like  illus- 
tration). This  map  is  supposed  to  cover  the  shopping 
center  of  the  town.  If  there  is  more  than  one  distinct 
shopping  center,  a  separate  map  of  each  should  be 
prepared,  carrying  symbols  on  the  maps  under  the 
various  classifications.  In  making  the  map,  fill  in  the 
names  of  city  hall,  railroad  stations,  leading  hotels, 
theaters,  and  banks,  for  the  purpose  of  setting  up 
the  high  spots.  In  locating  dealers  in  the  different 
centers  on  the  map,  the  system  of  inclosing  the  num- 
bers in  circles  should  be  followed  to  prevent  confusion. 
AH  department  stores  are  designated  by  numbers 
ending  in  "i."  For  example:  i,  ii,  21,  31,  etc.;  all 
grocers  end  with  "2."    For  example:  2,  12,  22,  32,  etc. 

After  exhausting  the  ten  figures  mark  all  the  optical- 
goods  dealers  Ai,  An,  A21,  A31,  etc.;  the  banks, 
A2,  A12,  A22,  A3 2,  etc.,  and  so  on  to  the  hardware 
dealers,  Bi,  Bii,  B21,  B31,  etc.  This  is  done  for 
the  purpose  of  enabling  a  distant  advertiser  easily 
to  pick  out  on  the  map  dealers  in  his  lines  with  whom 
he  would  like  to  get  in  contact.  The  map  is  very 
easy  to  make.  No  matter  how  rough  or  crude,  it 
is  better  than  no  map.  All  the  primary  or  essential 
dealers  in  the  principal  lines  covered  up  to  B3  should 
be  identical  on  all  maps.  In  case  of  there  being  no 
dealer  in  a  certain  line,  mention  some  one  handling  the 
goods  or  skip  that  symbol. 

The  lists  should  be  made  to  include  a  sufficient 
number  of  dealers  in  every  line  to  enable  an  outside 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        239 

manufacturer  to  secure  a  fair  representation.  The 
asterisk  in  front  of  a  dealer's  name  should  be  used 
only  in  the  case  of  dealers  who  have  special  agree- 
ments substantially  Hke  this: 

We,  the  undersigned  grocers  of  the  city  of  Moundville,  do 
hereby  agree  to  co-operate  with  all  reputable  manufacturers  of 
food  products,  etc.,  whose  goods  are  on  our  shelves  during  the 
time  in  which  said  manufacturers  are  advertising  in  The  Argus. 
Such  co-operation  is  to  consist  of  displaying  the  advertised  goods 
in  our  windows  or  prominently  on  our  shelves  and  of  emphasizing 
the  goods  to  our  customers. 

VITAL  AND  COMMERCIAL  DATA— (Tables 
A  and  B).  One  or  more  sheets,  as  required,  should  be 
made  as  comprehensive  and  informatory  as  it  is  pos- 
sible to  make  them  to  give  the  distant  business  man 
an  intimate  conception  of  your  town  and  its  activities. 

REGARDING  YOUR  OWN  NEWSPAPER— 
(Table  C).  Here  you  should  tell  your  own  story 
of  why  your  paper  is  published,  what  it  has  done,  the 
proportion  of  the  various  sorts  of  advertising  it  carries, 
whether  it  leads  in  display  or  classified.  It  would  be 
well  to  add  some  testimonials  of  appreciation  of  local 
advertisers  and  prominent  people.  Put  your  best  foot 
forward,  just  as  if  you  were  soliciting  an  account. 
Avoid  generalities  and  be  as  specific  as  possible. 

SERVICE  TO  ADVERTISERS— (Table  D). 
Make  this  cover  your  own  wishes  in  the  matter. 
The  form  suggested  in  the  sample  merely  presents  my 
own  views  of  what  could  be  reasonably  done  in  most 
cases. 

With  this  there  should  be  a  reproduction  of  your  own 
first-page  or  the  whole  newspaper  to  give  the  distant 
advertiser  a  glimpse  of  it  as  it  is. 


240        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

THE  RATE  CARD— (Table  E).  Fill  out  a  full 
sheet  to  match  the  other  pages,  setting  forth  your 
foreign  rates  for  the  various  amounts  of  space,  display, 
and  positions.  Absolute  uniformity  as  to  quantity 
is  essential.  If,  for  example,  you  have  no  rate 
specified  for  400  inches,  but  have  for  300,  quote  that; 
Hkewise,  if  you  have  no  rate  for  800  inches  and  nothing 
above,  say,  500  inches,  quote  that.  If  you  want  to, 
pin  a  copy  of  your  latest  rate  card  to  the  sheet,  but 
fill  in  the  amoimts  we  provide  for. 


TABLE  A 


January  i,  igi8 


Mound viLLE,  Ind. 


Furnished  by  The  Moundville  Argus  (For  use  in  Conjunction  with 
Graphic  Commercial  Survey  Map) 


DEPARTMENT  STORES 

I.  *James  McCreery  &  Co. 

000  Main  Street 

II.    Lord  &  Taylor 

000      "        " 

21.    Schneider  Bros. 

000  Fourth  Street 

31.  *Schloss  &  Co. 

000     "        " 

41.    Peck  &  Snyder 

000     "        " 

SI.  *Bloom  &  Co. 

000     "        « 

GROCERS 

2.  *Funk  &  Co. 

000  Main  Street 

12.  *Sweet  &  Bliss 

000     " 

22.  *Snell  &  Co. 

CXXD       "          " 

32.  *Jones,  Smith  &  Co. 

000  Fourth  Street 

42.    Slack  &  Son 

000  Chestnut  Street 

52.    Gosman  Bros. 

000  Walnut  Street 

DRUGGISTS 

3.  *Buchler  Bros. 

000  Main  Street 

13.  *  Jones,  Bliss  &  Co. 

000      " 

23.  *Hoffman  &  Son 

000      "        " 

33.  *Booth  Bros. 

000      "        " 

43.  *Bliss  &  Co. 

000  Fourth  Street 

S3.  *  Jones  Bros. 

000  Chestnut  Street 

NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        241 


TABLE  A— Continued 
HAT  STORES 

4.  *Sniffen  Bros.                     ooo  Main  Street 

14.  *Dow  &  Co.                       000     " 

24.  *L.  B.  Smith                       ooo  Third  Street 

34.  *W.  B.  Brown                    ooo      "        " 

44.  *A.  B.  Ivy                         000  Walnut  Street 

54.  *L.  A.  Morrison                 ooo     "           " 
HABERDASHERS 

5.  *The  Hub                           ooo  Main  Street 

15.  *Smith,  Gray  &  Co.           ooo     "        " 

25.  *Wolf  &  Co.                       000     " 

35.  *Fetterolf                           ooo  Chestnut  Street 

45.  Vanderhoff  &  Co.             ooo 

55.  Sweet  &  Co.                      ooo  Walnut  Street 

*  (Pledged  to  co-operate  with  local  newspaper  campaign). 

TABLE  B 
January  i,  iqi8                                      Moundville,  Ind. 
POPULATION 

Total  in  Citv          ,  -      Total  in  r\re.a. 

Total  in  territory 
within  30  miles 

served  by  news- 

Daoer 

Grand  Total         

Percentage  )  Native  Bom . 

in  City      >  Foreign  Bom 
CHIEF  INDUSTRIES 

Mound.  Iron  Wks,  employin 

Indiana  Wagon  Co.,    " 

Mead  Auto.  Works, 
BANK  CLEARINGS 

Total  1914      $ 

SCHOOL  FACTS 

Number  of  oublic  schools. . 

Lg Avge.  weekly  payroll  $ 

<<          ((           It 

«                    H                    il 

. .    October,  191 5  $ 

"          "  teachers          

"          "   Duoils 

"         "  private  schools  ( 
''  pupils 

Dr  colleges 

242        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 
TABLE  C 

(Merely  as  an  example  to  show  what  is  wanted) 

January  i,  1918  New  York,  N.  Y. 

SOME  INTIMATE  FACTS  REGARDING 

THE  NEW  YORK  GLOBE 

Founded  in  1793  as  The  Minerva,  renamed  The  Commercial  Ad- 
vertiser in  1797  and  renamed  The  Globe  in  1904,  The  Globe  is  the 
oldest  existing  daily  newspaper  in  the  United  States. 

It  daily  consists  of  from  12  to  24  pages,  sold  on  the  streets  at  i  cent 
per  copy  and  by  mail  at  $3  per  year. 

In  191 1  The  Globe  organized  The  Associated  Newspapers  with 
The  Chicago  Daily  News,  The  Philadelphia  Bulletin,  The  Kansas  City 
Star  and  Boston  Globe  as  charter  members,  now  grown  to  about  40 
strong  evening  newspapers  all  over  the  country. 

Through  the  use  of  the  feature  matter  of  these  great  newspaper 
successes  included  in  the  Associated  Newspaper  service  The  Globe 
has  steadily  grown  in  circulation  as  follows: 

1911 115,863 

1912 129,427 

1913 142,813 

1914 175,450 

Sept.  1915 184,562 

The  Globe  has  especially  aimed  to  be  a  distinctly  home  newspaper, 
appealing  to  people  of  the  middle  and  better  classes — people  with 
money  to  spend  and  who  most  liberally  respond  to  advertising. 

Its  features  that  appeal  to  women  stand  as  the  very  best  of  their 
kind  in  the  country.  Its  fashion  articles  have  won  for  it  recognition 
as  the  fashion  authority  of  the  city  and  have  given  it  a  larger  volume 
of  retail  and  specialty  advertising  of  special  appeal  to  women  than 
any  other  newspaper. 

The  great  success  of  the  recent  Fashion  Show,  six  performances  at 
Carnegie  Hall,  when  The  Globe  single-handed  comfortably  filled  the 
house  every  evening,  indicates  its  hold  on  its  readers. 

Through  its  Pure  Food  Department,  started  nearly  three  years  ago, 
under  the  direction  of  Alfred  W.  McCann,  The  Globe  has  won  the 
confidence  and  following  of  over  100,000  mothers  interested  in  the 
well-being  of  their  children  and  families. 

The  results  The  Globe  has  produced  for  foods  that  were  approved 
by  Mr.  McCann  have  surpassed  all  records  of  direct  response  from 
advertising.  Unknown  articles  have  been  given  large  sales  almost 
over  night.    Details  will  be  gladly  presented  to  any  one  interested. 

These  few  testimonials  will  indicate  the  response: 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        243 

"The  results  are  startling  to  us.  Letters  are  coming  to  us 
in  every  mail  and,  what  is  more  important,  repeat  orders  are 
beginning  to  appear. 

"We  have  spent  quite  a  sum  of  money,  in  various  ways, 
to  induce  the  consumer  to  try  Wyzono,  but  until  we  got  in 
touch  with  The  Globe's  clientele  met  with  little  or  no  success. 
Kow  things  are  different.  We  think  it  is  on  the  road  to 
success." 

"The  result,  however,  surpassed  our  fondest  anticipations. 
The  Normanna  Boneless  Kippered  Herring,  only*  conceived 
by  us  as  an  idea  in  January  this  year  and  packed  in  Norway 
under  our  supervision  during  February  and  March,  conse- 
quently unknown,  seemed  to  leap  into  the  limelight  as  soon 
as  appearing  in  your  certified  directory,  and  the  inquiries 
came  from  all  over  the  Metropolitan  territory,  by  mail,  by 
telephone,  and  even  in  the  form  of  numerous  personal  calls." 

"The  power  obtained  by  The  Globe  through  its  pure  food 
campaign  came  as  a  revelation  to  us.  We  have  seen  the 
proof.  As  admirers  of  Mr.  McCann  and  his  work,  we  wish 
more  power  to  you  and  to  him." 

"When  we  signed  the  contract  for  advertising  in  The 
Globe  Pure  Food  Directory,  representing  Wheatsworth 
Biscuits,  it  was  with  the  idea  that  we  were  merely  helping 
along  a  good  cause. 

"After  the  first  issue  we  changed  our  minds,  as  we  began 
receiving  inquiries  from  the  housewife  and  dealer  alike — 
not  only  from  Greater  New  York,  but  from  as  far  West  as 
Chicago." 

"When  we  sought  publicity  for  Peek's  Perfect  Tea  through 
the  medium  of  The  Globe  Pure  Food  Directory  we  did  not 
for  a  moment  imagine  that  we  would  thereby  be  bringing 
our  product  within  the  influence  of  what  has  proved  to  be 
a  veritable  magnetic  zone  of  responsive  thought  waves. 

"It  is  as  if  you  delivered  our  message  from  a  high  place 
to  a  waiting  and  eager  multitude." 

Popular  serial  stories,  short  stories,  Dr.  Crane's  articles,  Walt 
Mason,  cookery,  advice  to  working  girls,  an  excellent  doctor's  column 
of  advice,  the  best  theatrical  criticism,  all  go  to  make  The  Globe 
strong  with  the  class  of  women  it  is  intended  to  appeal  to. 

For  the  children.  Burgess's  "Bedtime  Stories,"  now  so  widely 
imitated,  with  a  Bedtime  Stories  Club  of  over  60,000  children  follow- 
ing a  very  interesting  column  carefully  edited,  together  with  comic 
strips,  etc.,  keeping  the  children  asking  for  The  Globe. 

The  Globe  is  the  virtual  unofficial  organ  of  the  25,000  school 
teachers  employed  by  the  City  of  New  York,  who  draw  upward  of 


244        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

$30,000,000  a  year  in  salaries.  Every  day  a  full  page  of  Board  of 
Education  matter  is  published  in  one  edition  for  them. 

This  army  of  school  teachers  is  an  important  purchasing  power 
which  cannot  be  as  effectively  reached  through  all  other  New  York 
newspapers  combined  as  in  their  daily  newspaper,  The  Globe.  Ask 
any  one  who  knows  a  New  York  school  teacher  and  be  convinced. 

The  Globe's  editorial  page  is  widely  and  closely  read  and  probably 
exerts  a  greater  influence  than  any  other  in  New  York.  The  Globe, 
being  independent  in  politics,  broad  and  liberal  in  its  consideration 
of  all  matters,  commands  a  confidence  on  the  part  of  its  readers  foimd 
in  few  newspapers. 

As  an  advertising  medium  The  Globe's  growth,  merely  on  the 
strength  of  proved  results  to  other  advertisers  and  results  for  all  who 
use  it,  stands  unique  in  records. 

(825,436  lines  gain  in  the  first  nine  months  of  1915  com- 
pared with  1914.) 

In  volume  of  display  advertising  The  Globe  stands  second  among 
the  evening  newspapers  and  third  among  all  NEW  YORK'S  news- 
papers, counting  only  week-days.    Here  are  the  figures  for  September: 

•p\7T7MTMr  "^s  °^    MORNING  lines  of 

^I,^^ii;^  DISPLAY      NEWSPAPERS  display 

iNiiwajr-AriiK^s  SEPT.,  1915    Excluding  Sunday        sept.,  1915 

Journal 495.054  Times 477,128 

GLOBE 405,749  Herald 213,013 

World 356,661  American 182,390 

Sun 353,148  World 200,292 

Mail 320,648  Sun 183,820 

Post 266,396  Tribune 164,253 

♦Telegram 180,543  Press 96,890 

*  Excluding  Sunday. 

While  The  Globe  shows  a  gain  of  825,436  lines  of  advertising  to 
Sept.  30,  many  other  papers  show  a  loss  as  follows: 

EVENING  NEWSPAPERS 

(6  days)                                                            gain  loss 

Journal 189,427 

GLOBE 825,436  

World 409,713 

Sun 485.972  

Mail 20,121  

Telegram 37,133 

Post 145,509 


Totals i,33ii529  781,782 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        245 

MORNING  NEWSPAPERS 

(7  days)                                                           GAIN  LOSS 

American 554,319 

Herald if043,79i 

Press 843,244 

Sun 152,066 

Times 12,840  

Tribune 364,774  

World 636,083 

Totals 377.614  3,229,503 

In  food  advertising  The  Globe  leads  all  other  New  York  news- 
papers. 

In  dry  goods  it  stands  third  among  the  evening  newspapers. 

The  Globe  leads  all  evening  newspapers  in  the  volume  of  foreign 
advertising,  though  it  does  not  accept  much  of  the  business  that  its 
competitors  carry. 

The  Globe  does  not  print  any  "cure"  advertisements  of  any  descrip- 
tion, declines  any  extravagantly  worded  medical  discovery  stuff,  or 
any  fraudulent,  questionable,  or  offensive  advertising  of  any  sort. 

In  eliminating  the  false,  The  Globe  has  been  solely  influenced  by 
the  good  business  reasons  for  doing  so — the  protection  of  its  readers, 
the  maintenance  of  decency  in  its  columns,  and  to  secure  greater 
confidence  in  the  advertising  it  accepts  and  prints. 

The  Globe  is  justly  proud  of  its  record  of  having  done  things. 
Instead  of  boastful  preachings  and  sensationalism,  The  Globe  organ- 
izes definite  movements  which  effect  local  betterments  which  attract 
attention  and  win  support  of  the  more  desirable  part  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Built  up  block  by  block,  block  upon  block,  without  gift  enterprise 
or  guessing  contests  of  any  kind,  through  faithful  service  to  reader 
and  advertiser  alike.  The  Globe  to-day  represents  a  live,  vital,  and 
dependable  medium  through  which  new  and  increased  business  can 
be  secured  easily,  cheaply,  and  effectively. 

The  Globe  will  gladly  give  further  details  and  proof  to  any  adver- 
tiser desiring  it. 

TABLE  D 
January  i,  IQ18  Moundville,  Ind. 

SERVICE  THE  ARGUS  EXTENDS  TO  ALL  ADVERTISERS 
Through  the  Indiana  Publishers'  Association: 

I.  The  Argus  has  secured   signed  pledges  from  local  dealers  in 
nearly  every  line  of  business  who  will  heartily  co-operate  in 


246        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

boosting  any  article  for  which  a  campaign  of  advertising  in  The 
Argus  is  carried  on  by  its  manufacturer. 

2.  The  Argus  will  inform  all  local  dealers  in  any  line  pledged  to 
co-operate  with  it,  by  postal  card  or  letter,  stating  when  the 
advertising  is  to  start,  and  distribute  proofs,  provided  it  re- 
ceives copy  in  time  to  prepare  samples. 

3.  The  Argus  will  assist  the  representative  of  any  manufacturer 
who  has  filed  an  application  blank  of  the  Indiana  Publishers* 
Association  guaranteeing  to  do  a  certain  amount  of  advertising 
by  introduction  to  local  dealers  and  urge  special  displays  and 
supplemental  advertising  by  local  dealers. 

4.  The  Argus  will  likewise  seek  to  get  local  dealers  to  collectively 
use  as  much  space  as  a  manufacturer  guarantees  to  use  on  one 
of  the  Indiana  Publishers*  Association  applications. 

5.  The  Argus  will  at  nominal  charge  make  any  reasonable  local 
trade    investigation   for   a   distant   manufacturer    considering 

doing  business  in  Moundville.     Charge  ( )  per  day  for 

as  many  days'  service  as  required.  In  case  reports  lead  to 
business  amounting  to  ten  times  the  service  charge,  the  amount 
of  the  service  charge  will  be  refunded. 

6.  The  Argus  will  not  seek  orders  for  goods  for  any  manufacturer 
or  act  as  travelling  salesman.  It  furnishes  names  of  dealers 
pledged  to  co-operate,  and  goes  no  further  than  above  indicated. 


APPLICATION  FOR  SERVICE 

Secretary  Indiana  Publishers'  Association: 

Dear  Sir — We  hereby  authorize  you  to  request  the  news- 
papers in  the  towns  specified  in  enclosed  letter  to  secure 

information  or  service  covered  in  section   ( )  of  the 

service  blank  furnished  in  the  surveys  made  in  connection 
with  the  Graphic  Commercial  maps. 

We  hereby  agree  to  use inches  of  space  as  a  mini- 

mtmi  in  each  newspaper  within. . .  .months  from  date.  Failing 

to  do  so  we  agree  to  pay  for  said  service  at per  day  of 

the  investigator's  time  and  to  accept  the  return  of  goods  at 
prices  paid  for  all  goods  ordered  by  dealers  on  the  strength  of 
your  representations  made  by  your  members. 

Signed ' 

Dated ,  1915. 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        247 
TABLE  E 

January  i,  iqi8  New  York,  N.  Y. 

RATE    CARD 


THE    GLOBE 

(As  an  Example) 
DISPLAY    ADVERTISING 

RUN  OF  PAPER; 

1  Time $4.90  Per  Inch 

26  Times 4.90     "      " 

156  Times 3.64     "      " 

ON  OPEN  SPACE! 


100  Inches  or 

200 

400 

800 
1,000 
2,000 


1,400  Lines  in  One  Year $4.90  Per  Inch 


2,800 

5,600 

11,200 

14,000 

28,000 


3.92 
3.92 
3.78 
3.78 
3.64 


Per  Inch 
Extra 


POSITION  CHARGES: 

Any  Specified  Page 70 ' 

Alongside  Reading  R.  O.  P 70 

Next  Following  and  Alongside  R.  O.  P $1.40 

Last  Page None 

Opposite  Editorial None 

CLASSIFIED:— TWO  CENTS  PER  WORD. 

Size  of  Page— 17x21  J^  Inches;  8  Cols,  to  Page;  296 
Lines  Agate  to  Col.;  Width  of  Col.,  123^  Ems  Pica. 

(Regardless  of  the  Peculiarities  of  Your  Rate  Card,  Fill  in  a  Sheet  to  Cover 
Exact  Spaces  Above,  so  as  to  Provide  Uniform  Standard  for  All  Newspapers.) 

I6 


PART  l^I 

Circulation 

How  Money  Is  Foolishly  Wasted — Make 

the     Product     Meritorious — Circulation 

Promotion 


XXXII 

Promotion  and  Delivery 

More  money  has  been  wasted  in  childish  efforts 
to  bolster  up  circulation  for  inferior  newspapers  than 
would  be  needed,  if  properly  invested,  to  secure  for 
worthy  enterprises,  circulations  and  prestige  far 
beyond  their  fondest  ambitions.  I  mean  this  in  the 
broadest  and  widest  sense,  for  I  know  that  I  am  on 
the  soundest  kind  of  a  foimdation  when  making  this 
radical  statement. 

Our  friends  the  mining  engineers,  those  of  broad 
experience,  put  the  proposition  in  this  way:  "More 
money  has  been  spent  in  mining  than  ever  came  out  of 
the  ground."  In  mining  so  much  money  is  wasted 
in  fooHsh  prospecting,  and  for  stocks  in  mines  that 
never  existed  except  in  the  minds  of  the  crooked 
promoters  seeking  to  float  worthless  securities,  that 
the  assertion  is  more  than  made  good. 

The  same  thing  happens  every  day  in  our  newspaper 
offices  and  has  been  going  on  for  years,  ever  since  there 
have  been  newspapers.  Any  really  competent  circula- 
tion manager,  of  successful  experience,  knows  that 
better  and  more  satisfactory  results  circulation- wise 
can  be  got  for  his  paper  by  spending  more  money 
through  the  editorial  department  than  by  many  times 
the  amount  spent  in  trying  to  force  a  sale  for  an 
inferior  product. 


2S2        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

The  fully  qualified  circulation  manager — the  only 
kind  worth  desk-room — will  put  in  more  time  ascer- 
taining what  the  public  in  his  town  want  in  the  paper, 
and  fighting  for  that  sort  of  paper,  than  in  foolish 
fireworks.  He  is  in  closer  touch  with  the  situation 
than  any  one  else  on  the  paper.  His  carriers  report 
the  criticism  of  subscribers  through  newsboys  and 
dealers,  and  he  is  in  a  position  to  verify  the  reports. 

The  difficulty  in  many  newspaper  offices  is  that 
publishers,  business  managers,  and  editors  are  too 
incHned  to  look  upon  the  circulation  manager  as  a 
sort  of  over-grown  newsboy,  or  a  grossly  inferior 
subordinate,  than  as  a  responsible  man,  probably 
more  keenly  interested  in  the  growth  of  the  circtilation 
of  the  paper  than  any  one  else  on  it. 

My  introduction  to  the  newspaper  business  was 
through  the  circulation  department,  and  during  the 
last  thirty-seven  years  I  have  had,  I  think,  exceptional 
opportunity  for  studying  circulation  methods  and 
results.  As  a  matter  of  fact  my  weakness  in  the  news- 
paper business  is  my  inclination  to  look  upon  practi- 
cally everything  that  offers  as  it  may  affect 
circulation. 

Regardless  of  general  opinion  to  the  contrary,  in 
many  important  quarters,  I  am  satisfied  that  as  a 
rule  a  newspaper  can  secure  more  satisfactory  growth 
out  of  specialties  than  by  the  extravagant  exploitation 
of  general  news.  In  a  competitive  field  a  newspaper 
either  succeeds  or  fails,  according  to  its  features  and 
individuality. 

Big  special  news,  like  that  created  by  Mr.  Lawson, 
in  covering  the  great  World  War  with  forty  exclusive 
special  correspondents  at  all  European  capitals,  and 
with  the  armies,  costing  him  $200,000  a  year,  is  the 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        253 

sort  of  news  which  can  be  cashed  in  for  circulation. 
The  Chicago  Daily  News  gained  nearly  100,000  circula- 
tion through  its  publication,  while  The  New  York 
Globe  has  picked  up  nearly  50,000  new  readers  in 
five  months  by  its  use. 

Routine  news  is  now  obtainable  by  almost  any  news- 
paper. Special  features,  such  as  are  supplied  by  the 
Associated  Newspapers  and  the  various  feature  syndi- 
cates, provide  the  sort  of  exclusive  matter  which  may 
be  capitalized  in  any  city  or  town.  A  careful  selection 
of  such  matter,  of  the  sort  that  people  will  "cry  for," 
is  the  best  sort  of  stuff  to  give  the  circulation  man 
with  which  to  build. 

I  recognize  the  natural  opposition  of  the  aver- 
age managing  editor  to  this  theory.  For  him  to 
admit  that  any  ''canned"  product  is  as  good  as 
articles  he  can  produce  would  be  considered  an 
admission  of  weakness  on  his  part.  Nevertheless, 
all  the  best  experience  leans  toward  the  method  I  am 
suggesting.  I  could  give  case  after  case  to  prove  the 
point.  Look  at  The  Chicago  Tribune,  The  Kansas 
City  Star,  The  Philadelphia  Bulletin,  and  other  suc- 
cesses too  numerous  to  mention,  and  you  will  find  in 
them  the  best  presentation  of  the  news  of  the  day, 
backed  up  by  features  and  departments  which  give 
them  striking  individuality,  impossible  of  duplication 
in  their  fields. 

The  newspapers  of  The  New  York  Times,  The 
Indianapolis  News,  and  The  Dallas  News  type,  which 
have  scored  successes  here  and  there,  are  rather  the 
"exceptions  that  prove  the  rule."  The  New  York 
Times  has  won  its  position  through  specialized  news, 
as  previously  indicated,  just  as  the  other  papers 
mentioned  in  the  same  general  class  have  done.    This 


254        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

type  of  construction  is  much  more  easily  attacked 
than  the  type  built  on  great  human-interest  features, 
which  cannot  be  duplicated.  Any  one  with  sufficient 
money  and  properly  trained  brains  can  get  out  as 
complete  a  "news"  paper  as  any  one  else.  The  news 
is  free  to  all  who  will  employ  enough  men  and  devote 
to  it  as  much  space  as  the  other  fellow  or  more.  From 
the  circulation  standpoint  it  is  much  easier  to  win 
increased  sales  of  the  kind  that  stick,  and  gradually 
grow  through  the  recommendation  of  readers,  by  the 
proper  use  of  features  than  by  piling  in  the  news. 

The  expense  of  the  circulation  of  our  newspapers 
varies  all  the  way  from  13  to  31  per  cent,  of  the  total 
operating  expense,  excluding  the  cost  of  print  paper. 
In  many  cities  where  street  cars  can  be  used  at  no 
expense,  or  at  purely  nominal  cost,  the  figure  ranges 
in  the  neighborhood  of  12  to  15  per  cent. 

In  cities  like  Philadelphia,  Boston,  Kansas  City, 
where  the  delivery  system  involves  many  divergent 
routes,  extending  like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel,  the  cost 
of  delivery  is  much  higher  than  in  a  city  like  New 
York,  where  the  heavy  deliveries  are  along  straight 
lines  north  and  south.  The  successful  building  of 
The  Philadelphia  Bulletin  to  its  present  high  point 
of  circulation  has  been  largely  the  result  of  the  most 
perfect  and  elaborate  delivery  system,  almost  regard- 
less of  expense.  It  is  so,  too,  with  other  great  news- 
papers, and  I  hesitate  to  criticize  the  wisdom  of  such 
liberality.  If  we  were  more  inclined  to  make  our 
newspapers  better  newspapers,  with  stronger  and 
stronger  individuality,  there  would  be  less  necessity 
of  burning  up  good  money  at  the  feet  of  the  "Speed 
god"  which  our  newspapers  do  as  a  matter  of  blind 
faith. 


NEWSPAPER    BUILDING        255 

I  have  long  advocated  a  joint  delivery  of  all  the 
newspapers  in  a  given  city,  which  would  cut  delivery 
expenses  probably  50  to  60  per  cent.,  an  item 
sufficient  to  make  them  all  better  newspapers  and 
permit  the  adding  of  many  dollars  of  profit  for  their 
makers.  The  weaker  newspapers  naturally  hesitate 
to  have  their  output  handled  strictly  as  a  commodity, 
and  usually  prefer  to  try  to  gain  a  few  moments 
at  given  points  over  their  more  cumbersome 
competitors. 

If  any  business  under  the  sun  is  afflicted  with  vicious 
and  destructive  competition  it  is  the  newspaper 
business  in  this  worship  of  the  *' Speed  god."  We 
newspaper  men,  for  some  reason  or  other,  have  it  so 
deeply  ground  into  our  systems  that  success  must 
come  from  beating  the  other  fellow  that  we  more  often 
than  not  throw  away  all  possibility  of  making  our 
business  a  commercial  success. 

In  many  of  our  smaller  cities  the  evening  newspaper 
publishers  have  found  a  solution  of  the  problem  which 
seems  incapable  of  being  solved  in  a  big  town.  By 
limiting  themselves  to  one  edition  each  day  they  have 
trained  their  constituencies  to  expect  only  that  one 
edition  at  a  certain  reasonable  time.  In  New  York 
the  evening  delivery  problem,  trying  to  beat  six  or  a 
dozen  competitors  to  5,500  news-stands  five  times  a 
day,  means  the  useless  burning  up  of  money  and  effort. 
I  am  firmly  convinced  that  if  our  newspapers  could  be 
brought  to  look  upon  their  product  as  a  commodity 
and  would  substitute  delivery  experts  from  the  depart- 
ment stores  or  express  companies  for  our  circulation 
managers  they  could  have  fortunes.  I  don't  mean  this 
in  the  sense  of  criticizing  the  circulation  managers' 
efficiency,  but   rather  to  imply  that  I    think  their 


2S6        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

entire  training  has  made  them  wasteftd  in  their 
crazy  efforts  for  speed. 

Nowadays,  when  practically  all  newspapers  get  the 
same  news  through  the  same  channels,  such  things  as 
the  old-time  beats  are  almost  an  impossibility.  If  a 
paper  misses  anything  its  neighbor  has  it  gets  out  a 
''lift"  in  a  few  moments  and  all  is  forgotten.  Our 
newspapers  are  more  largely  bought  for  our  way  of 
treating  things,  our  editorials,  our  features,  or  what  we 
stand  for.  The  sooner  we  find  out  that  the  transient 
sale  of  a  few  extra  copies  at  the  news-stands  is  not 
worth  what  it  is  costing  us  the  sooner  we  shall  put  our 
business  on  a  sound  basis. 

The  only  kind  of  circulation  that  is  worth  anything 
to  us  as  a  good-will  asset  is  that  represented  by  our 
townsmen  who  regularly  buy  our  paper  and  have 
confidence  in  it.  Our  advertisers  are  discovering  this, 
as  is  shown  by  the  methods  of  the  Audit  Bureau  of 
Circulations  in  its  form  of  reports  and  audits.  The 
modem  newspaper  practice  is  tending  toward  the 
elimination  of  widely  scattered  circulation  to  points 
many  miles  away  from  our  home  town.  Such  circula- 
tion is  almost  valueless  to  our  local  advertisers,  and 
the  general  advertiser  buys  our  space  for  local  trade 
stimulation.  Our  newspapers  have  been  foolishly 
profligate  in  seeking  to  attain  the  highest  possible 
circulation  figures.  It  is  being  demonstrated  more 
and  more  that  we  can  get  higher  rates  for  concentrated 
circulation  of  the  kind  that  represents  a  soHd  buying 
constituency  than  one  with  mere  figures  to  sell.  Our 
circulation  efforts,  therefore,  should  be  along  the  line 
of  reaching  the  sort  of  people  whom  we  can  educate  to 
have  impHcit  confidence  in  their  paper  and  the 
advertising  it  prints  than  the  kind  that  merely  buys 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        257 

it  to  glance  over  headings  and  to  look  at  comics  or 
sensational  matter. 

There  is  no  money  in  merely  selling  newspapers. 
There  is  no  money  in  selling  newspapers  which  are 
unprofitable  to  our  advertisers.  Our  profits  and 
prosperity  are  so  closely  interwoven  with  those  of  our 
advertisers  that  we  should  seek  to  eliminate  needless 
waste.  Money  wasted  in  this  detail  must  come  from 
the  advertiser  in  the  way  of  higher  rates  or  out  of  our 
profits. 


XXXIII 

Premiums  and  Contests  * 

Regardless  of  ideas  to  the  contrary,  I  am  opposed 
to  all  gift  enterprise,  premiums,  and  canvasses  for 
the  purpose  of  increasing  circvdation.  If  a  newspaper 
is  but  a  thing  to  be  sold  as  an  adjunct  to  a  book,  a  set 
of  dishes,  or  something  else,  it  should  never  be  printed. 
If  your  product  is  not  good  enough  to  make  people 
want  it  for  its  intrinsic  merit  and  value,  artificial 
stimulation  will  be  waste  of  money. 

In  the  case  of  The  Globe^  with  the  exception  of  one 
or  two  small  experiments,  our  circulation  depart- 
ment's sale  efforts  have  been  confined  to  delivering 
the  newspaper  turned  over  to  it  from  the  press- 
room. Our  circulation  manager  often  says  to  me: 
"You  don't  need  a  circulation  department.  All  you 
need  is  wagons,  automobiles,  and  carriers.  We  have 
nothing  to  do.'*  Despite  the  fact  that  we  have  made 
no  campaigns  for  circulation  promotion  and  no  other 
effort  to  get  new  readers,  save  those  that  naturally 
came  to  us  by  the  producing  of  a  better  and  more 
interesting  newspaper  every  day,  we  have  grown  from 
75,000  to  over  200,000  a  day  in  seven  years. 

You  don't  hear  of  the  employment  of  circulation 
schemes  by  real  newspapers.  Yet  there  are  many  men 
in  the  newspaper  business  who  think  by  brass  band 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        259 

and  gift  enterprise  effects  to  secure  increased  sale  for 
an  inferior  article.  There  can  be  no  lasting  success 
for  anything  except  the  real  goods  in  newspaper- 
making,  for  every  copy  of  a  newspaper  is  the  obvious 
proof  of  the  genuine  or  the  make-believe.  Each  day's 
newspaper  is  a  permanent  record  of  its  own  achieve- 
ments. Of  what  lasting  effect  is  the  futile  effort  to 
foist  an  inferior  article  on  a  commimity? 

As  I  have  said,  my  first  entrance  upon  real  news- 
paper work  was  in  the  circulation  department.  I 
personally  organized  a  corps  of  correspondents  and 
agents  and  built  up  the  circulation  of  a  weekly  news- 
paper from  10,000  to  over  90,000.  I  have  had  the  ex- 
perience and  know  the  details  of  successful  exploitation. 
In  traveling  around  the  country  investigating  news- 
papers and  newspaper  conditions  I  have  always  sought 
to  look  up  the  circulation  managers  of  the  various 
newspapers  for  the  purpose  of  talking  over  things 
and  giving  and  taking  ideas.  Out  of  this  mass  of 
concentrated  experience  I  have  reached  the  conclusion 
that  the  most  effective  and  satisfactory  ways  of  pro- 
moting circulation  are : 

a.  Publication  of  the  best  possible  newspaper; 

b.  Publishing  the  best  and  most  popular  features; 

c.  Rendering  genuine  public  service;  and 

d.  Proving  to  your  constituency  the  genuineness  of  your 
publication. 

The  best  circulation  manager  to-day  is  the  one 
who,  while  caring  for  the  detail  of  delivering  the 
newspaper,  can  most  effectively  help  in  carrying  out 
the  above  program.  The  effective  circulation  manager 
has  several  main  outlets  for  his  enthusiasm,  the  most 
promising  among  them  being : 


26o        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

a.  Advertising  in  other  newspapers,  by  placard,  by  dodger,  by 
wagon  signs; 

b.  Demonstration  by  sample  copy,  fly  sheet,  and  booklet; 

c.  Specialization  in  stimulating  different  imits  in  the  com- 
mimity  as  opportunity  occurs;  and 

d.  Through  close  contact,  frequent  conferences  with  editors 
and  knowing  what  the  newspaper  is  doing  or  is  going  to  do. 

Perhaps  my  conception  of  the  ideal  circulation 
manager  is  a  bit  exalted,  but  it  is  based  on  twenty-five 
years'  close  study  of  the  work  of  Samuel  P.  Booth, 
who  has  been  at  my  right  hand  day  and  night,  winter 
and  summer,  in  the  upbuilding  of  The  Glohe^  never 
satisfied  with  results  and  always  fighting  for  greater 
opportunity  for  activity  and  growth.  Mr.  Booth  is 
no  better  and  no  worse  than  dozens  of  good  circula- 
tion men  I  know,  but  in  The  Globe  office  he  has  more 
sympathetic  recognition  and  support  than  any  other 
circulation  man  I  know.  His  close  contact  with 
editors  and  all  executives  has  broadened  him  out 
until  to-day,  without  any  further  quaHfication,  he 
could  effectively  handle  any  and  all  departments  of 
any  newspaper  outside  of  editorial  work.  I  had  not 
intended  to  write  Booth  so  prominently  into  this 
chapter,  but  he  deserves  the  recognition,  and  if  by 
acknowledging  his  staunch  loyalty,  activity,  patience, 
and  efficiency  I  can  create  a  proper  appreciation  of 
such  work  by  others,  and  secure  for  them  an  oppor- 
timity  of  doing  it,  I  shall  feel  satisfied. 

No  stereotyped  set  of  rules  for  circulation  promotion 
that  will  be  effective  everywhere  can  be  safely  laid 
down.  But  I  believe  the  easiest  way  to  sectire  new 
circulation  for  a  good  newspaper  is  by  sample  copies 
put  directly  into  the  hands  of  prospects. 

Next  after  sample  copies  I  believe  small  booklets 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        261 

giving  reprints  of  a  news  department,  or  a  strong  feat- 
ure distributed  in  large  quantities  in  carefully  selected 
neighborhoods,  will  produce  best  results.  I  firmly  be- 
lieve in  advertising  in  other  newspapers  where  you 
can  do  so.  I  believe  in  the  use  of  good,  clean,  human- 
interest  serial  stories  for  cementing  and  holding 
together  our  readers.  A  two-  or  four-page  fly-sheet 
giving  the  opening  chapters  of  a  good  serial  leading 
directly  into  a  stated  issue  has  often  proved  mighty 
effective. 

Newspapers  generally  are  too  prone  to  give  away 
copies  of  their  papers  on  the  slightest  provocation. 
I  know  of  one  publisher  who  has  a  theory  that  he 
wants  a  copy  of  his  paper  to  go  to  every  important 
space-buyer  in  the  country,  and  who  seeks  out  their 
home  addresses,  so  as  to  put  them  on  his  mailing  list. 
He  carried  a  large  free-list  as  a  consequence,  and 
having  run  across  some  of  the  victims  in  their  homes, 
I  found  that  the  papers  are  never  looked  at. 

Not  long  ago  we  carefully  went  over  our  lists  in 
The  Globe  office  and  I  was  surprised  to  discover  how 
we  were  being  ** worked"  for  free  copies.  Some  of 
our  large  local  advertisers  were  getting  from  fifteen 
to  fifty  copies  a  day,  while  (one  at  a  time)  I  found  that 
our  various  solicitors  had  been  adding  new  names  to 
our  list.  By  one  house-cleaning  we  cut  off  a  waste  of 
better  than  1,000  copies  daily,  and  by  cutting  off  all 
unnecessary  exchanges  we  reduced  the  number  to  80. 
To-day  our  free  copies  do  not  exceed  50  a  day,  instead 
of  2,500  to  3,000  a  year  ago. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  nearly  every  free  copy  you  cut 
off  locally  will  lead  to  a  new  paid  subscriber.  An  oc- 
casional copy,  under  conditions  where  you  know  it  will 
be  read,  is  better  than  supplying  just  so  much  more 


262        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

waste  paper  for  some  janitor  to  sell  for  junk.  Exactly 
how  intelligent  human  beings  can  expect  some  indi- 
vidual in  a  distant  city  to  read  with  any  interest  a 
newspaper  a  day  or  two  old  is  beyond  comprehension. 
I  appreciate  how  some  pubHshers  in  smaller  cities 
look  upon  what  they  call  service  copies  to  corre- 
spondents as  partial  pay  for  service.  They  Hke  to 
deceive  themselves  into  thinking  that  these  corre- 
spondents will  do  more  work  for  the  paper  furnished 
gratis  than  they  would  for  money.  From  my  stand- 
point, I  would  rather  pay  them  a  few  cents  more  a 
week  and  have  them  buy  the  paper.  If  they  have  not 
enough  interest  in  their  paper  to  purchase  it  every 
day,  the  sooner  they  are  through  the  better. 


PART    VII 

Modern  Efficiency 

\  Budget  Is  Absolutely  Necessary — ^'Dead 

Line''  Theory  of  Expense — Some  Systems 
and   Charts    Useful   in   the   Newspaper 

\  Office 


XXXIV 

The  Budget   System 

After  years  of  careful  consideration  I  am  firmly 
of  the  opinion  that  the  only  effective  way  a  business 
can  be  run  is  on  the  budget  system.  By  this  I  do 
not  mean  to  advocate  the  stifling  of  any  constructive 
activity  in  any  or  all  departments  by  restricting  the 
budgets  to  so  small  appropriations  as  to  defeat 
progress. 

Our  budget  should  provide  for  every  **must"  item 
of  salary  or  expense  with  a  reasonable  elasticity  to 
cover  added  expenses  which  experience  shows  will 
probably  creep  in  at  different  times  of  the  year.  By 
use  of  the  "Dead  Line  Theory,"  as  shown  in  the 
next  chapter,  we  find  the  idea  I  seek  to  convey  made 
practical. 

At  this  point  we  shall  merely  set  up  the  percentage 
of  total  expense  as  providing  a  sound  basis  for  budget 
appropriations.  By  taking  our  total  operating  ex- 
pense and  then  calculating  what  percentage  of  the 
total  is  represented  by  the  total  of  each  department 
we  reach  a  definite  starting  point.  It  is  the  absence 
of  basic,  standardized  figures  of  the  kind  herein  sug- 
gested that  makes  it  impossible  for  many  newspapers 
to  succeed  or  to  find  out  what  is  wrong  in  their 
operations. 

Standardization   in   costs   of   departments   would 


266        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

TABLE  F 

Name  of  Paper 

City 


COST  PERCENTAGES 
Print  paper  should  not  be  included 

On  the  theory  of  gross  expense  for  the  last  full  year  for 

which  you  now  have  figures.    These  figures 

represent  the  percentage  of  total  for  each 

department. 

EDITORIAL,  including  telegraph,  press  associations,  art 
department,  supplies  and  ex- 
penses   % 

CIRCULATION,  including  newspaper  postage,  ex- 
penses, promotion,  and  all  ex- 
penses   % 

COMPOSITION,  including   labor,  material,  and  sup- 

phes % 

PRESS  ROOM,  including  ink,  supplies,  etc % 

STEREOTYPING,  including  labor  and  supplies % 

ADVERTISING  DEPARTMENT,  including  expenses, 
foreign  representation,  trade- 
paper  advertising,  promotion 
and  expense % 

BUSINESS    DEPARTMENT,    cashier,    bookkeeping, 

stationery,  postage,  etc % 

GENERAL  EXPENSE,  including  light,  heat,  power, 
insurance,  supplies,  etc.,  but 
EXCLUDING  rent  and  interest 
on  bonds  or  indebtedness  of  any 
kind % 

Dated 

(Signed) 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        267 

enable  newspapers  to  exchange  figures  like  those 
below,  covering  percentages  of  total  expenses  which 
would  be  most  interesting  and  valuable.  If,  for 
example,  any  twenty  newspapers  of  approximately  the 
same  potential  circulation  would  use  percentage 
figures  on  a  standardized  blank,  shown  in  Table  F, 
and  the  compilation  was  made  available  for  those  co- 
operating, they  would  be  able  to  secure  at  a  glance 
absolute  information  as  to  whether  they  were  high 
or  low  compared  with  others. 

For  the  purpose  of  making  such  figures  more 
dependable  some  general  understanding,  like  the 
following,  should  be  reached  and  accepted  as  the 
standard  among  the  papers  exchanging  such  infor- 
mation : 

1.  All  total  figures  should  include  a  charge  for  depreciation  and 
re-equipment;  say  10  per  cent,  on  machinery  and  5  per  cent,  on 
furniture. 

2.  Rent  should  be  included  as  a  charge  whether  paid  or  not 
to  equalize  comparisons. 

3.  Print  paper  should  be  eliminated  from  the  calculation,  for 
the  reason  that  the  item  is  so  large  a  factor  and  so  much  a  matter 
of  individual  caprice  as  to  interfere  with  comparisons  elsewhere. 

Some  years  ago  I  asked  a  number  of  newspapers  to 
exchange  percentage  figures  with  me  and  got  a 
response  from  15  out  of  25  asked  to  participate.  The 
result  was  satisfactory,  although  representing  a  rather 
mixed  group,  and  without  any  standardization  of  prac- 
tice some  of  the  figures  were  very  misleading. 

Some  of  the  newspapers  were  in  the  very  large 
cities  and  some  in  smaller  towns.  In  some  places,  for 
example,  papers  were  transported  by  trolley  companies 
without  expense,  while  others  were  delivered  by 
automobile  and  carrier. 


268 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 


COST  PERCENTAGES  OF  DIFFERENT  DEPARTMENTS 

(Excluding  print  paper) 

Edit!       Cir. 

Compo-    Press-  Stereo- 

Adv. 

Bus. 

Gen. 

Dept.      Dept. 

sition        room     typ'g 

Dept. 

Dept. 

Exp. 

Paper  No.    i. 

21          31 

12              9             3 

12 

2 

10 

<( 

'        2. 

23.07    25.91 

15.34      6.5         3.23 

9.76 

4.01 

12.18 

(( 

''      3. 

35.1      15.75 

19.13      4.46       1.49 

7 

3.85 

13.22 

(( 

'      4. 

19.9     13-4 

26.3          5.6         4 

II. I 

4-3 

15-4 

ft 

'      5. 

35.9   14.24 

19.7         3.8         3.42 

9.34 

(>-z 

7.3 

11 

'     6. 

28.56  15.06 

19.37     9-02     3.18 

5.24 

10.93 

8.64 

ti 

'      7. 

24.3     19-4 

23.5       10.9         4.1 

8.3 

5-4 

4 

K 

'      8. 

24.2     25.6 

17. 1          5.7         3.4 

9.6 

5-3 

9.2 

(I 

'      9. 

30.4     24.9 

18.3          5.8         2.4 

9 

4 

5.2 

il 

'      lO. 

26.2     31.2 

22.8         4             2.1 

2.2 

6.4 

5.1 

11 

'    II. 

26.7     17.7 

22.7       6.5       2.6 

7 

1.8 

14.6 

tt 

'     12. 

20.6     14.2 

12.3         3.7         3.9 

5.9 

1.6 

10.9 

It                i 

'    13. 

23.9     23.9 

19.5       6.5       2.6 

12.6 

6.8 

4.2 

EDITORIAL,  including  telegraph,  press  associations,  corre- 
spondence, art  department,  supplies,  and  expenses. 

CIRCULATION,  including  delivery,  newspaper  postage,  ex- 
penses, promotion,  and  all  expenses. 

COMPOSITION,  including  labor,  material,  and  supplies. 

PRESS-ROOM,  including  ink,  supplies,  except  print  paper. 

STEREOTYPING,  including  labor  and  suppHes. 

V     ADVERTISING  DEPT.,  including  expenses;  foreign  repre- 
sentation, trade  paper  advertising,  promotion  and  expense. 

BUSINESS  DEPT.,  cashier,  bookkeeping,  stationery,  postage, 
etc. 

GENERAL  EXPENSE,  including  light,  heat,  power,  insurance, 
suppUes,  etc.,  but  EXCLUDING  rent  and  interest  on  bonds  or 
indebtedness  of  any  kind. 


Before  getting  access  to  these  figtires,  however,  I 
had  always  had  the  feeling  that  our  circulation  ex- 
penses were  out  of  proportion  to  those  in  other  offices. 
The  returns  from  other  newspapers  disproved  this 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        269 

theory,  but  enabled  us,  after  queries,  materially  to 
reduce  expenses  in  other  departments. 

In  the  case  of  newspaper  No.  3,  the  chief  executive 
salaries  are  charged  on  editorial  pay-roll.  Nos.  3,  4, 
5,  6,  and  12  represent  newspapers  which  at  the  time 
the  figures  were  compiled  used  local  street  cars  for 
delivery,  either  at  no  expense  or  at  nominal  cost. 


XXXV 

The  Dead  Line  Theory  oj  Expense 

One  of  the  chief  troubles  in  the  newspaper  office 
operated  without  direct  cost  system  is  the  ever-present 
inclination  of  expenses  to  pile  up  to  high  records  on 
every  bulge  in  business.  On  a  boom  in  advertising 
for  a  brief  season  every  department  breaks  loose  and 
takes  on  extra  expense,  very  often  without  any  one 
noticing  it  or  nipping  the  waste  in  the  bud. 

This  was  brought  forcefully  to  my  notice  in  going 
over  some  figures  of  expense  and  income  a  few  years 
ago.  I  had  set  down  on  a  sheet  of  paper  some  figures 
illustrating  comparative  growth  in  income  and  ex- 
pense for  six  months  of  three  years.  The  figures 
represented  thousands  of  dollars,  plus  or  minus.  For 
example,  the  first  month,  July,  19 14,  means  expenses 
were  up  $5,000,  while  earnings  were  up  only  $4,000: 

Expense  Income     Expense   Income     Expense  Income 
1914  191S  1916 

July 5+  4+  4+  3+  3—  4  + 

August 6+        8-1-  5+  6-1-  2—  5-h 

September...  g-{-  io-|-  8-}-  9-I-  4 —  6-h 

October 12+  15-}-  9-}-  lo-f  5 —  12-I- 

November  . . .  13 -h  14  lo-h  11+  '   2 —  11 -h 

December  ...lo-h  10  2-f-  5 —  i —  lo-f- 

The  figures  are  fictitious,  but  they  demonstrate  the 
point  I  v{^vX  Xq  majce.    Nptice  how  i^  tJiQ  first  twQ 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        271 

years  every  increase  in  income  is  almost  blanked  by 
increases  in  expenses.  Then  notice  how,  by  the 
application  of  the  system  I  am  going  to  describe, 
expenses  were  held  down  or  reduced  in  the  last  year 
regardless  of  increases  in  income. 

I  reasoned  the  problem  out  in  this  way : 

1.  Certain  expenses  not  affected  by  increased 
volume  of  business  should  be  placed  below  an 
imaginary  dead-line  and  not  permitted  to  move 
upward  without  complete  understanding  and  author- 
ization. 

2.  Those  departments  directly  affected  by  increased 
volume  must,  of  necessity,  swell  and  recede  as  busi- 
ness does,  and  must  be  controlled  by  some  rule  in 
each  for  keeping  absolute  check  of  costs  by  units 
adapted  to  each. 

3.  All  items  of  promotional  or  experimental  nature 
in  any  department  must  be  kept  track  of  in  a  lobe 
extending  down  below  a  line  drawn  across  the  sheet 
at  the  bottom  of  the  first  group. 

Acting  on  this  theory,  I  prepared  Table  G,  which 
has  been  most  effective  in  the  cases  of  many  news- 
papers to  which  I  have  furnished  copies  of  it. 

I  like  to  see  the  proposition  as  shown  in  Table  G. 
With  a  picture  of  this  sort  in  mind  it  is  very  easy  to 
operate  a  growing  newspaper. 

If  you  keep  all  the  promotional,  experimental,  and 
exceptional  expenses  below  the  base  line,  and  admit 
nothing  to  the  central  group  that  is  not  an  absolute 
must,  and  nothing  above  the  dead  line  except  as 
justified  to  care  for  additional  business,  more  than 
half  the  usual  troubles  in  a  newspaper  will  be  done 
away  with.  Regulated  in  this  way  when  a  condition 
like  the  print-paper  panic  gf  19 16  and  191 7  hits  you. 


/ 

/ 

/ 

/ 


272        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

TABLE   G 

Showing  Visualization  of  Expense  to  Avoid  Bulges  All  Along  the 
Line  Created  by  Periods  of  Temporary  Prosperity 

DEAD  LINE  EXPENSE 

{For  the  purpose  of  preventing  inordinate  expansion  of  expenses 

during  a  particularly  prosperous  season) 

Items  which  MUST  go  up  to 

Care  for  Increased  Business: 

Composition — To  care  for  additional  business — Keep  track  cost 

per  column 

White  Paper — To  care  for  enlarged  paper    — Maintain      fixed 

standard   read- 
ing matter 

Press-room  — To  care  for  longer  press  nms    — ^Watch  output  per 

press  hour 

Delivery — ^To  handle  extra  number  or  size  — Keep  track  cost 

of  paper        per  thousand 

Advertising  Dept. — To  care  for  extra  cuts 

and  illustrations 

DEAD  LINE 

Items  which  SHOULD  NOT 
Be  Allowed  to  Increase: 

Editorial  Rent 

Advertising  Payroll  Light 

Business  Dept.  Power 

BASE  LINE 

Items  to  be  Controlled 
in  Promotion  Accounts    — Which  can  be  cut  off  at  any  time 
for  Temporary  Purposes  without  disturbing  equilibrium  of 

working  force  or  routine  nmning 
expenses. 

Circulation  contests 
Circulation  canvasses 
Any  speclal  editorial  stunt 
Any  special  advertising  effort 
Any  temporary  expense 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        273 

you  can  cut  off  almost  all  the  expense  of  promotional 
or  experimental  nature  below  the  base  line  without 
disturbing  your  regular  operations  in  the  least.  If 
your  whole  force  is  brought  to  a  realization  of  where 
it  stands  in  reference  to  tenure — those  in  the  regular 
groups  knowing  that  they  are  fixtures  so  long  as  they 
are  effective,  and  those  below  the  base  line  only 
engaged  while  the  special  promotional  work  is  on — 
these  latter  can  be  dropped  without  any  more  gossip 
than  that  the  paper  temporarily  is  going  to  drop 
promotional  work. 

In  many  newspaper  offices  the  dropping  of  any 
group  of  men  is  hailed  with  rumors  that  the  paper  is 
in  a  bad  way.  This  happens  when  temporary  posi- 
tions grow  into  regular  situations  and  any  cut  must 
affect  all  departments. 


XXXVI 

Meeting   Increasing   Costs 

On  the  ground  that  a  single  case  demonstrated  is 
better  than  a  hundred  of  theory,  I  am  going  to  show 
briefly  how  we  anticipated  the  high  prices  of  print 
paper  in  1916  and  191 7.  In  October,  1914,  in  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Dodge,  president  of  the  International 
Paper  Company,  to  Mr.  Bridgman,  president  of  the 
American  Newspaper  Publishers'  Association,  sug- 
gesting a  get-together  meeting  between  publishers  and 
print-paper  manufacturers  to  discuss  print-paper 
conditions,  I  saw  a  sign  of  impending  danger.  No 
meeting  was  brought  off,  though  I  recollect  that  Mr. 
Bridgman  wrote  Mr.  Dodge,  after  consulting  his 
board  of  directors,  that  the  publishers  would  attend 
such  a  conference.  The  meeting  of  April,  19 16,  at 
the  Union  League  Club  in  New  York,  between  news- 
paper publishers  and  paper-makers,  at  which  intima- 
tions of  the  necessity  for  conservation  and  higher 
prices  by  about  $5  a  ton  were  given  out  by  the  manu- 
facturers, caused  us  to  get  busy. 

On  May  i.  The  Globe  increased  its  annual  subscrip- 
tion price  from  $3  to  $6,  and  instituted  economies  in 
the  use  of  paper  by  reducing  the  quantity  of  waste 
represented  in  returns,  overs,  and  free  copies. 

With  the  idea  of  an  increased  price  of  $5  per  ton 
in  mind,  and  taking  into  consideration  the  economies 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        275 

we  could  produce,  we  went  carefully  into  a  calculation 
of  costs  to  see  what  increases  in  the  various  advertising 
rates  were  essential  to  make  both  ends  meet. 

A  prospective  increase  of  $50,000  a  year  to  us, 
represented  by  $5  more  a  ton  for  10,000  tons,  seemed 
to  be  too  big  an  item  to  assimilate.  But  by  the  use 
of  acciu-ate  costing  process  any  situation  can  be  met 
much  more  effectively  than  by  guesswork. 

On  June  i  we  issued  a  new  advertising  rate-card, 
making  some  very  minor  reforms  and  primarily  to 
render  certain  position  rates  prohibitive  in  order  to 
meet  conditions  of  the  more  condensed  papers  we 
had  in  view. 

This  was  followed  by  another  revision  of  rates, 
effective  August  i,  which  we  calculated  would  place 
a  fair  proportion  of  the  added  expense  on  the  adver- 
tiser. The  one-time  rate  was  increased  from  35  to 
40  cents  per  line,  with  discounts  in  proportion.  The 
bulk  contract  rates  were  increased  this  way : 

2,500  line  contract  increased  from  28  to  30  cents. 

5,000  line  contract  increased  from  27  to  29  cents. 
10,000  line  contract  increased  from  27  to  28  cents. 
20,000  line  contract  increased  from  26  to  27  cents. 
30,000  line  contract  increased  from  24  to  26  cents. 
40,000  line  contract  increased  from  22  to  25  cents. 
50,000  line  contract  increased  from  20  to  24  cents. 

Along  about  this  time  we  were  hearing  reports 
regarding  the  difficulties  of  certain  publishers  whose 
contracts  for  print  paper  were  expiring  in  getting 
renewals,  except  until  the  end  of  the  year,  and  then 
at  prices  representing  nearer  $10  a  ton  advance 
than  $5. 

We  continued  to  effect  further  economies  in  the  USQ 


276        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

of  print  paper  and  waste,  reducing  the  minimum  of 
reading-matter  to  fifty-five  columns  from  sixty.  Then 
came  rumblings  and  reports  of  3 -cent  paper.  We 
again  got  busy  on  our  cost  sheets  and  issued  a  new 
rate  card  on  November  i,  which  changed  space 
rates  as  follows: 

One  time  rate  the  same. 

2,500  line  contract  increased  from  30  to  33  cents. 

5,000  line  contract  increased  from  29  to  32  cents. 

10,000  line  contract  increased  from  28  to  31  cents. 

20,000  line  contract  increased  from  27  to  30  cents. 

30,000  line  contract  increased  from  26  to  29  cents. 

40,000  line  contract  increased  from  25  to  27  cents. 

50,000  line  contract  increased  from  24  to  25  cents. 

We  increased  our  financial  advertising  rate  from 
35  to  40  cents  per  line  and  made  many  minor  adjust- 
ments regarding  other  classifications.  Before  this 
rate  card  was  fairly  in  operation  talk  of  3^^  and  3^ 
cent  paper  was  being  indulged  in,  so  we  decided 
further  to  reduce  the  volume  of  reading-matter,  still 
further  to  economize  in  other  ways,  and  to  make 
another  readjustment  of  certain  minor  advertising 
rates,  and  issued  other  rate-cards  on  December  1,1916, 
and  January  i,  191 7. 

The  net  result  of  all  these  reforms  in  anticipation 
of  the  heavy  added  penalty  for  191 7,  estimated  at 
$234,000  for  the  year,  has  been  that  we  have  been 
able  to  meet  the  extraordinary  increase  in  the  cost 
of  paper  during  191 7  much  more  effectively  than 
would  otherwise  have  been  possible. 


XXXVII 

Keeping    Track   of  Expenses 

We  assume  that  every  business  enterprise  will  of 
necessity  have  a  bookkeeper  able  to  handle  a  simple 
set  of  books  to  keep  records  of  the  transactions  of  the 
concern.  We  shall  skip  all  this  and  add  on  a  system 
which  will  prevent  leaks  and  produce  figures  which 
later  on  will  provide  the  sort  of  experience  charts 
that  will  help  spell  success.  To  begin  with,  we  shall 
briefly  consider  the  use  of  the  Voucher  and  Voucher 
Record,  working  to  the  monthly  summary. 

The  voucher  is  printed  on  both  sides  and  provides 
the  ideal  system  for  making  every  item  of  expense  re- 
solve itself  as  part  of  the  proper  classification  of  de- 
partmental cost.  A  voucher  may  be  made  the  master 
of  a  whole  group  of  items,  which  must  be  reflected  in 
detail  on  its  back. 

For  example,  the  whole  weekly  pay-roll  of  a  concern 
may  be  covered  by  a  single  voucher,  with  all  the  items 
on  the  pay-roll  segregated  in  their  proper  place  on 
the  back.  Before  the  voucher  can  be  used  to  extract 
funds  from  the  bank  it  must  be  drawn  by  a  certain 
official,  checked  by  another,  and  approved  for  pay- 
ment by  another  in  case  such  a  check-up  is  desired. 
Each  voucher  is  numbered  and  transferred  to  a 
voucher  record  (Figure  3),  which  is  a  very  wide  sheet 
with  lines  to  care  for  every  item  on  the  back  of  the 


278        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

vouchers.  At  the  end  of  the  month  the  sum  of  all 
of  the  columns  must  reflect  the  total  expense  for  that 
month,  showing  the  cost  of  every  classified  item  of 
each  department,  as  summarized  in  Figure  4.  -^ 

For  simple  use,  the  total  figure  of  each  of  these 


VOUCHER  No.. 


^^nMMls^' 


New  York.. 


New  Yoilc. .191 

ReceiveJ  from  THE    GLOBE    wd    COMMERCIAL  ADVERTISER 


.OollaM, 


$ 


FRONT    OP  VOUCHER 


units  entered  on  the  back  of  an  ordinary  voucher  will 
show  costs  with  a  simplicity  that  will  surprise  a  person 
who  has  not  seen  figures  in  such  graphic  shape. 

The  second  monthly  summary  sheet  (Table  H) 
provides  a  still  more  interesting  presentation  of  these 
same  figures.  Here  the  summary  of  the  voucher 
record  is  made  easy  of  use.    At  the  right  side  is  a 


•  •■>.».  "»•, 


Daily    summary  of  expenses 


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NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 


279 


column  for  last  year's  figures,  and  at  the  bottom 
is  a  line  for  last  year's  total  of  each  department 
total. 

In  the  summary  (Table  H)  we  have  added  another 
feature  not  reflected  by  the  voucher  record  and 
monthly  summary,  but  which  can  be  easily  segregated 
as  follows:  The  first  total  down  the  page  includes 
only  absolute  items  covering  cost  of  production;  the 
second  total  includes  journal  items;  the  third  total 
promotional  items,  and  the  fourth  total  investment 
items,  such  as  equipment,  machinery,  or  furniture. 

As  years  turn  around  the  value  of  such  segregations 
of  figures  will  be  obvious  to  any  one  who  will  take  time 
to  have  the  figures  separated  and  thus  preserved. 

We  shall  later  consider  the  many  wonderful  and 
efficient  uses  which  can  be  made  of  these  basic  and 
fundamental  figures. 

BACK   OF  VOUCHER 

Showing  Distribution  of  Total  Amount  Approved  for  Payment  on  Front 
DISTRIBUTION 


EDITORIAL 

2.  Space  Reporting  and  Spec.  Art 

3.  Correspondence 

4.  Illustrations 

5.  Press  Assns   

6.  Postage 

7.  Carfares 

9.  Telegraph,  Cables  and  Tickers  . 

10.  Telephone  and  Messengers  .... 

1 1 .  Stationery  and  Printing 

12.  Supplies  (Papers,  etc.) 

13.  Expenses  

18  


28o        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 


CIRCULATION 
6.  Postage,  Newspaper  . . . 

6.  Postage,  General 

7.  Carfares 

8.  Expressage 

1 1 .  Stationery  and  Printing 

12.  Supplies 

13.  Expenses   

14.  Wagons   

17.  Advertising  Expenses  . . 


ADVERTISING 

4.  Illustrations 

6.  Postage 


1 1 .  Stationery  and  Printing 

12.  Supplies 

13.  Expenses   

13.  Expenses,  Classified  . . . 


BUSINESS 

6.  Postage 

7.  Carfares 

11.  Stationery  and  Printing 

12.  Supplies 

13.  Expenses  


PROMOTION 

6.  Postage 

7.  Carfares 

11.  Stationery  and  Printing 

12.  Supplies 

13.  Expenses  

17.  Advertising  Expenses  . . 


COMPOSING 

12.  Supplies 

13.  Expenses  

21.  Maintenance  and  Repairs 


12. 

IS- 
i6. 
21. 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

PRESS 


281 


Supplies 

Expenses   

Paper 

Ink  

Maintenance  and  Repairs 


STEREOTYPE 

12.  Supplies 

13.  Expenses  


GENERAL  AND  FIXED 

6.  Postage 

7.  Carfares 

10.  Telephone  and  Messengers  . . 

11.  Stationery  and  Printing 

12.  Supplies 

13.  Expenses  

18.  Legal 

19.  Power  and  Heat 

20.  Light 

21.  Maintenance  and  Repairs  . . . 

22.  Rent 

23.  Insurance •. . . . 

24.  Taxes  

25.  Interest   


Total 


BACK  OF  VOUCHER  TO  SHOW  DISTRIBUTION  OF  TOTAL  AMOUNT 
APPROVED  FOR  PAYMENT  ON  FRONT 


282        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 
TABLE   H 

Monthly  Summary  of  Expenses 
Month  of  1915 


Cir-    Ad-   Com-  Bust-  Stere-  General  (Last  Year) 

Edi-   cula-  verlis-  post-   ness  otyp-     Ex-  Per  Per 

torial    Hon    ing     tion  Office  Press  ing      pense  Total  Issue  Total  Issue 


1.  Salaries 

2.  Overtime  or 

Extra  Help 

3.  Illustrations 

4.  Carfares 

5.  Expense  Accounts 

6.  Postage  (Newspapers) 

7.  Postage  (General) 

8.  Expressage 

9.  Telegraph 

10.  Telephone 

11.  Stationery  and 

Printing 

12.  Supplies 

13.  Expenses 

14.  Wagons 

15.  Paper 

16.  Ink 

17.  Legal 

18.  Power  and  Heat 

19.  Light 

20.  Maintenance 

and  Repairs 

21.  Rent 

22.  Insurance 

23.  Taxes 

24.  Interest 

25.  Press  Assns. 
26. 

27. 
38. 

Totals 

Journal 

Total  Expenses 

Promotion — 
ip.  Advertising 
2p.  Circulation 
3p.  General 
Total 

39.  Pum.  &  Fixtures 
30.  Machinery 
31. 

Total 
Per  Issue 
Last  Year 

Total 
Per  Issue 


XXXVIII 

The  "Little   Black   Book'' 

Some  twelve  years  ago  I,  by  accident  rather  than 
foresight,  commenced  to  transfer  the  total  figures 
shown  on  the  monthly  summary  from  the  voucher 
record  to  a  small  loose-leaf  book  convenient  to  carry 
in  the  pocket  for  use  at  home.  At  the  beginning  my 
use  of  the  figures  was  looked  upon  as  a  joke  by  my 
then  office  associates.  For  the  first  year  the  figures 
meant  nothing.  At  the  end  of  two  years  they  meant 
little,  but  at  the  end  of  five  years  my  "Httle  black 
book,"  as  it  was  called,  was  a  veritable  office  encyclo- 
paedia regarding  estimates  for  the  future  based  on 
past  experience.  As  time  went  on,  of  course,  I  kept 
adding  refinements  to  the  presentation  and  use  of  the 
figures,  until  to-day,  by  reference  to  this  little  book, 
I  can  answer  any  reasonable  question  regarding  any 
detail  of  the  business  for  a  period  of  twelve  years. 

I  cannot  too  strongly  urge  upon  all  readers  who  are 
seriously  engaged  in  the  newspaper  business  to  start 
such  a  book  at  once  and  to  dip  into  past  records 
whenever  possible  in  order  to  provide  experience 
tables  for  immediate  present-day  guidance.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  book  that  is  now  my  constant 
companion,  almost  wherever  I  may  be,  is  a  supplement 
or  summary  of  the  original  little  black  book,  which 
merely  covered  expenses  in  detail,  and  which  to-day 


284        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

forms  an  entirely  independent  book  for  detailed 
analysis  of  expense  whenever  essential. 

We  shall  first  consider  the  original  book  and  show 
it  in  its  various  developments,  and  then  step  forward 
to  the  summary  book,  which  has  been  adopted  by 
many  important  newspaper  publishers,  to  whom  I 
have  shown  it,  as  a  standard.  As  a  starting  point  a 
separate  page  is  opened  for  every  item  of  expense 
shown  in  the  distribution  on  the  back  of  the  vouchers, 
each  department  being  headed  by  a  supplementary 
page  giving  the  total  expense  of  the  department. 

Starting  with  *' Editorial  Totals"  (Figure  6),  our 
sheet  ranges  from  January  to  December  each  year, 
showing  total  each  month.  The  second  page  shows 
(Figure  7)  "Editorial,  Space  Reporting,  and  Special 
Articles,"  the  second  item  of  distributicm  on  the 
voucher,  in  the  same  way,  and  so  on  through  all  the 
other  items  of  distribution.  With  this  simple  system 
installed  we  have  a  handy  little  book,  convenient  for 
carrying  in  the  pocket,  which  will  enable  us  to  know 
exactly  what  any  item  is  costing  us  in  comparative 
form.  The  figures  thus  produced  form  a  large  part 
in  the  subsequent  calculations  I  am  going  to 
describe. 

Now  to  step  forward  to  the  real  book  of  vital 
information  which  answers  all  questions  almost  auto- 
matically or  provides  data  for  the  solving  of  any 
problem  of  to-day  or  for  reaching  an  estimate  for  the 
future.  Take  a  book  of  the  same  size  as  the  one 
above  described. 

Our  opening  compilation  (Figure  8)  will  show  actual 
daily  sales  day  by  day  for  a  period  of  years.  Twelve 
pages  will  suffice  to  cover  four  or  five  years.  There 
is  no  necessity  for  summaries  here,  as  that  matter  is 


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NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        299 

cared  for  later  on.  Our  second  series  of  pages  (Figure 
9)  will  show  net  advertising  earnings  day  by  day  with 
weekly  and  monthly  totals.  Again  only  twelve  pages 
are  required.  Our  third  series  of  pages  (Figure  10) 
covers  all  the  essential  facts  regarding  circulation 
operations.  Our  gross  print  for  the  month,  our 
average  net  sale,  our  circulation  department  expense, 
our  circulation  income,  and  our  white  paper  bill. 

Unlike  the  previous  series  in  the  book,  the  totals 
of  the  main  items  shotdd  be  summarized  quarterly 
(Figure  11),  semiannually  (Figure  12),  and  annually 
(Figure  13). 

Oiu*  fourth  series  of  pages  (Figure  14)  covers  all 
high  spot  information  regarding  advertising  depart- 
ment operations  and  results.  Here  we  find  total 
volume  of  advertising  in  lines  or  inches,  as  you  may 
desire,  total  volume,  total  local,  total  foreign,  total 
net  income,  and  total  expense.  Again  quarterly 
(Figure  15),  semiannual  (Figure  16),  and  yearly  stim- 
maries  are  necessary.  At  a  glance  you  can  ascertain 
whether  increased  business  is  costing  too  much,  how 
earnings  compare  with  previous  years,  and  such  vital 
and  important  data.  Our  fifth  series  of  pages  clearly 
(Figure  18)  reflects  a  summary  of  the  totals  of  de- 
partmental expenses  brought  forward  from  the  other 
book.  Thirty-eight  pages  will  give  all  the  figures  in 
detail,  by  quarters,  half-years,  and  years,  as  shown 
in  figure  19.  It  is  unnecessary  to  provide  for  circula- 
tion and  advertising-department  totals  which  are 
covered  in  previous  pages. 

Having  gone  through  the  process  of  building  up 
figures  that  will  enable  us  to  know  exactly  what  we 
are  doing,  the  next  question  we  should  settle  is 
**How  to  use  them"  as  a  life  preserver  in  critical 


300        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

and  radical  periods  such  as  the  present  print-paper 
catastrophe. 

Referring  back  to  the  system  of  finding  cost,  I 
would  recommend  the  preparation  of  a  sheet  like 
"Cost  vs.  Earnings."  Every  month  a  single  figure 
represents  the  cost  of  a  line  of  advertising  at  the  top 
of  the  page,  while  the  figure  at  the  bottom  represents 
the  advertising  earnings  per  line.  Until  you  have  had 
the  use  of  such  a  table  you  cannot  appreciate  what  a 
really  wonderful  confidence  it  can  give  you  in  going 
out  into  the  world  to  do  business.  If  you  are  brought 
face  to  face  with  a  big  item  of  added  expense,  don't 
fly  off  the  handle  and  say  it  can't  be  done.  Sit  down 
at  your  desk  and  figure  it  out.  First  see  what 
economies  and  added  efficiencies  will  do,  and  then  see 
how  much  you  must  pass  to  the  advertiser.  Even 
a  quite  heavy  item  can  be  spread  equitably  over  many 
shoulders  if  you  only  know  how  to  do  it. 

Avoid  glittering  generalities  and  be  prepared  to 
talk  intelligently  increased  ''costs"  when  you  want 
to  borrow  money  from  the  bank  or  to  increase  your 
advertising  rates.  Business  men  nowadays  realize 
that  in  order  to  live  they  must  let  live.  If  they  want 
your  newspaper  as  part  of  their  business  promotional 
equipment  they  will  meet  slightly  increased  rates  in 
an  emergency.  With  the  data  you  have  in  hand  you 
can  prove  your  case,  but  what  is  better  still  you 
yourself  know  what  average  rate  you  **must"  get 
in  order  to  live. 

Far  too  many  of  our  newspapers  are  conducted 
without  such  figures  as  I  have  briefly  outlined  here. 
Their  managers  do  not  know  where  they  are  at  from 
day  to  day,  from  month  to  month,  or  from  year  to 
year,  except  as  they  may  or  may  not  have  a  balance 


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302        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

in  the  bank.  If  every  month  they  could  clearly  show 
whether  they  had  been  operating  in  ''black  ink" 
(profit)  and  not  in  "red  ink'*  (loss)  they  would  be 
able  to  sleep  better  at  night.  By  further  refinements, 
which  I  shall  not  attempt  to  include  in  this  brief  out- 
line, these  figures  in  the  form  of  daily  statements  can 
show  profit  or  loss  day  by  day.  Such  information  is 
essential  in  the  case  of  our  larger  newspapers  and 
where  we  have  a  large  enough  clerical  force  to  pro- 
duce any  figures  we  may  desire. 

It  is  easy  enough,  where  we  have  a  set  of  figures 
covering  records  for  two  or  three  years,  to  estimate  the 
day  by  day  expense  of  all  regular  items  and  monthly 
bills  by  reaching  averages.  The  print-paper  bill 
should  be  charged  day  by  day  as  the  paper  is  actually 
consumed.  In  The  Globe  ofiice  we  have  reduced  this 
process  to  such  a  fine  point  that  we  usually  find  our- 
selves charged  with  only  a  very  few  dollars  more 
expense  in  the  estimates  than  we  have  actually  spent. 
Of  course  this  goes  into  profits.  The  sheets  for 
keeping  track  of  this  from  month  to  month,  quarter 
by  quarter,  etc.,  are  shown  in  figure  22.  By  all 
means  carry  this  set  forward. 


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XXXIX 

Conclusion  and  Summary 

I  HAVE  touched  now  very  briefly  upon  and  con- 
sidered many  of  the  most  vital  points  and  underlying 
factors  in  newspaper  building,  as  well  as  the  purpose- 
ful conduct  of  a  newspaper,  to  the  end  that  it  be  an 
important  institution  in  its  commimity. 

The  foregoing  chapters  provide  the  path  which  the 
serious  investigator  may  follow  to  glean  other  prac- 
tical data  regarding  the  really  notable  demonstration 
of  what  is  best  in  newspaper  making  as  a  business  or 
as  a  profession. 

All  consideration  has  been  purposely  omitted  of  the 
exploitation  of  the  commercial  type  of  yellow  daily 
newspaper,  and  those  which  otherwise  pander  to  the 
baser  elements  and  inclinations  of  readers  who  prefer 
sensationalism  and  filth. 

I  have  attempted  to  show  how  the  same  broad, 
general  conception  of  the  great  independent  news- 
paper was  successfully  developed  by  Melville  E.  Stone 
with  The  Chicago  Daily  News,  how  it  inspired  Colonel 
William  R.  Nelson  with  The  Kansas  City  Star,  how  it 
was  more  rigidly  and  nationally  exemplified  by  Lord 
Atholstan  with  The  Montreal  Star,  and  how  the  idea 
has  spread  to  almost  all  of  our  American  cities. 

If  I  have  failed  to  make  clear  the  big,  central  idea 
which  so  obviously  was  in  the  minds  of  these  great 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        305 

pioneers  in  the  better  and  sounder  type  of  journalism, 
it  is  because  of  lack  of  ability  to  correctly  use  the 
brush  in  painting  the  picture. 

Regardless  of  all  argument  to  the  contrary,  news- 
papers built  and  maintained  even  approximately  up 
to  the  standards  set  by  these  pioneers  in  sound, 
honest,  and  sincere  journalism  will  succeed  anywhere, 
win  public  support  and  confidence,  and  gradually 
become  commimity  institutions  of  widest  influence 
and  profit. 

As  already  stated,  I  sincerely  believe  that  the  pres- 
ent-day Montreal  Star  and  Kansas  City  Star  between 
them,  and  each  individually  for  that  matter,  reflect 
the  best  and  greatest  in  our  modem  journalism.  They 
stand  as  models  for  the  background  of  a  new  news- 
paper edifice,  or  for  the  reconstruction  of  a  moribund 
derelict. 

I  say  this  after  careful  consideration  of  the  rights 
of  The  Chicago  Tribune  and  The  New  York  Times  to 
be  considered  in  the  same  class.  The  Chicago  Tribune 
measures  nearer  the  standard  of  my  ideal  than  The 
New  York  Times,  which  unquestionably  stands  as  a 
model  of  the  news-paper,  and  differs  very  materially 
from  either  The  Chicago  Tribune  or  the  two  notable 
examples  mentioned. 

Our  newspaper  must  have  a  heart  and  sympathy 
as  well  as  news  merit  to  measure  up  to  the  goal  of 
greatest  perfection  in  my  opinion.  Thus  it  seems  to 
me  that  The  Kansas  City  Star  and  The  Chicago  Tribune 
are  the  two  high  spots  to  be  studied.  Colonel  Nelson 
had  the  ability  to  carry  out  the  idea  with  greatest 
consistency  and  effect  in  the  newspaper  which  he  not 
only  dedicated  to  serve  the  people  of  Kansas  City 
who  paid  their  ten  cents  a  week  for  it,  to  the  State 


3o6        NEWSPAPER    BUILDING 

and  to  the  Nation,  but  carried  it  through  with  nearly 
ninety-nine  and  nine-tenths  per  cent,  efficiency. 

By  the  same  process  The  Chicago  Tribune  owes  its 
great  dominance  to  the  fact  that  it  is  one  of  the 
very  few  morning  newspapers  which  is  a  home  news- 
paper, in  the  sense  that  our  great  evening  newspapers 
are  home  newspapers,  through  its  adoption  of  many 
of  the  features  and  departments  generally  found  in 
evening  newspapers.  With  this  has  been  coupled  an 
enterprise  and  dash  matched  by  almost  no  other, 
and  a  human  sympathy  and  real  service  to  reader  and 
advertiser  most  difficult  of  duplication. 

Too  many  are  prone  to  think  that  the  ideal  news- 
paper I  paint  is  not  a  real  newspaper.  In  this  they 
are  wrong,  for  the  models  I  have  taken  for  exemplifi- 
cation are  among  the  greatest  news-yoi^ers  in  the 
world;  they  have  been  among  the  chief  supporters 
of  the  Associated  Press  at  different  critical  periods 
in  its  life,  printing  the  most  copious  and  accurate  news 
of  the  day,  and  ever  at  the  fore-front  when  it  comes  to 
getting  the  really  big  news,  regardless  of  expense. 

Among  all  the  newspapers  on  the  American  con- 
tinent The  Montreal  Star^  in  my  opinion,  holds  place 
as  a  national  institution.  The  New  York  Times  prob- 
ably has  a  broader  national  recognition  and  sale  than 
any  other  paper  in  the  United  States.  The  Kansas 
City  Star  dominates  the  territory  for  hundreds  of 
miles  around  its  home  city  through  the  confidence  of 
all  the  people  in  its  reliability  and  accuraby. 

During  the  past  fifteen  or  twenty  years  I  have 
visited  hundreds  of  newspaper  offices  in  every  state 
in  the  United  States  and  in  the  larger  cities  of  Canada. 
Chiefly  as  a  result  of  these  calls  and  talks  I  wais 
inspired  to  write  this  book  in  order  to  bring  home  a 


NEWSPAPER   BUILDING        307 

sense  of  their  shortcomings  to  many  misguided  men 
at  present  conducting  newspapers,  men  who  really 
know  no  more  regarding  the  big  idea  in  their  craft 
than  would  an  infant  in  arms. 

There  is  another  point  to  consider.  A  newspaper 
conducted  by  men  whose  only  purpose  is  to  make  the 
largest  possible  profit  out  of  the  power  which  they 
develop  is  as  reprehensible  as  any  other  sort  of  black- 
mail. Much  as  I  regret  to  admit  it,  there  are  still  in 
existence  two  or  three  big  newspapers  of  this  type 
and  many  small  ones.  As  the  better  type  newspapers 
find  root  in  those  towns,  the  black  sheep  are  gradually 
crowded  off  the  map. 

Likewise,  a  newspaper  conducted  by  men  unable  to 
appreciate  the  true  sense  of  responsibility  they  owe  to 
their  community  and  the  nation,  who  fail  to  maintain 
poise  and  dignity  of  attitude  in  their  personal  and 
newspaper  work,  tends  to  bring  discredit  upon  all 
newspapers. 

The  modem  successful  daily  newspaper  is  too  much 
of  a  broad  public  servant  to  permit  itself  to  grovel  in 
the  dirt  of  cheap  local  politics,  or  to  put  itself  at  the 
beck  and  call  of  those  who  seek  to  secure  plunder  by 
fleecing  the  public  through  franchise  privileges.  The 
best  thought  in  modem  newspaper  making  tends 
toward  the  support  of  the  best  men  for  the  offices 
and  the  support  of  projects  of  genuine  service  to  the 
commimity.  The  day  of  the  partisan  newspaper  has 
gone. 

Only  too  often,  under  pretense  of  contending  for 
the  freedom  of  the  press,  unscrupulous  and  deluded 
men  owning  newspapers  are  permitted  to  do  things 
and  circulate  traitorous  and  inflammatory  matter 
which  is  as  dangerous  to  the  well-being  and  safety  of 


3o8        NEWSPAPER   BUILDING 

the  nation  as  wotdd  be  an  open  insult  to  the  flag.  It 
is  regrettable  that  many  sound  newspaper  men  resist 
the  enactment  of  laws  to  restrain  those  who,  by  their 
acts,  bring  odium  on  newspaper  publishing  as  a  whole. 
For  the  good  this  book  may  do  it  is  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  the  reader.  It  is  a  rather  unusual  book, 
giving  the  results  of  years  of  study  of  business  with  a 
frankness  made  possible  only  by  the  broad  purpose 
that  inspired  its  production. 


Index 


Accounting,  need  of  better,  96. 

Advertising,  ratioof  to  reading,  1 56 ; 
the  rate  card,  203 ;  highly  com- 
petitive fields,  206;  discounts 
and  rates,  208;  fight  for  one 
rate,  211;  increasing  rates,  213; 
graphic  charts  of,  218-220;  so- 
licitor's reports,  233;  service 
to  the  advertiser,  236;  increas- 
ing rates  on  contract,  275. 

Advertising  as  News,  84. 

Advertising  the  Advertising,  228. 

American  Newspaper  Publishers* 
Association,  75,  194,  197,  274. 

Angelo,  Holger  R.,  149. 

Arcos,  Ren6,  149. 

Associated  Newspapers,  23;  cor- 
poration organized,  69;  con- 
tributors to,  112,  142,  253. 

Associated  Press,  13;  Pape's  let- 
ter to,  60,  151. 

Association  of  American  Adver- 
tisers, 69. 

Atholstan,  Lord,  development  of 
The  Montreal  Star,  62 ;  knighted 
by  King  Edward,  64. 

Atlanta  Constitution,  The,  121. 

Audit  Bureau  of  Circulation,  70, 
72,  256. 

Autoplate  Machine,  167, 176, 196. 

B 

Barbour,  Ralph  Henry,  143. 

Bass,  James  P.,  147. 

Battle  Creek  Sanitarium,  130. 


Bed  Time  Stories,  112,  142. 

Bell,  Edward  Price,  147,  150,  152. 

Bennet  Biscuit  Co.,  The  P.  H.,  128. 

Berlin  Paper  Co.,  The,  186. 

''Black  Book,  The  Little,"  283. 

Booth,  Samuel  P.,  260. 

Boston  Herald,  The,  121. 

Boston  Post,  The,  unique  con- 
stituency and  policy,  118;  first 
page  of,  119. 

Boston  Transcript,  The,  120. 

Brayden,  William  H.,  149. 

Bridgman,  Herbert  P.,  274. 

Browne,  Louis  Edgar,  148,  149, 
150. 

Buchan,  John,  148. 

Budget  System,  The,  265. 

Burgess,  Thornton  W.,  112,  142. 


Capitalization,  how  to  arrive  at, 

lOI. 

Chattanooga  Daily  Times,  52;  first 
year's  business,  58. 

Chicago  Daily  News,  The,  founded 
by  Mr.  Stone,  3 ;  Lawson's  asso- 
ciation begins,  12;  circulation 
figures  for  40  years,  17;  special 
war  news  service  of,  145,  304. 

Chicago  Tribune,  The,  first  page 
of,  115;  policy  of,  117. 

Christian  Science  Monitor^  The, 
120. 

Circulation,  forcing  experiment 
in  Chicago,  84;  built  on  feat- 
ures, III;  graphic  chart  of, 
217,   222,   227;   how  money  is 


3IO 


INDEX 


wasted  in,  251 ;  value  of  features 
for,  252;  expense  of,  254;  deliv- 
ery problem,  255;  premium  and 
contests,  258;  free  copies,  261. 

Clark,  Hon.  Champ,  50. 

Classified  Advertising  as  circu- 
lation builder,  85. 

Clement,  Ernest  W.,  149. 

Coates,  Foster,  80. 

Coates,  Col.  Kersey,  27. 

Cockrell,  John  A.,  80. 

Cole,  G.  P.,  128. 

Comics,  overdone,  112. 

Commercial  Advertiser,  The  (see 
New  York  Globe). 

Contests  and  Premiums,  258. 

Cost  Finding  Experiments,  267. 

Cost  System  applied  to  news- 
papers, 91. 

Costs,  percentages,  266;  how  to 
meet  increases  in,  274. 

Country  Publisher,  job  work  ac- 
coimting,  98. 

Crane,  Dr.  Frank  W.,  112. 

Czarnecki,  Anthony,  149. 


Daily  America,  80. 

Daily  Mercury,  The,  78. 

Dallas  News,  The,  121. 

Damon,  Robin,  183. 

Dead  Line  Theory  of  Expense, 
The,[270. 

Decker,  A.  R.,  148. 

Delivery  Problem,  The,  255. 

Depreciation  Figures,  267. 

Digby,  Bassett,  148. 

Dodge,  President,  274. 

Dougherty,  William  E.,  3. 

Dry  Goods  Advertising  in  New 
York,  103,  104,  105;  in  morn- 
ing and  evening  papers  since 
1906,  114. 

Duplex  Printing  Press,  170,  171, 
192. 

E 

Editor  and  Publisher,  The,  145. 
Editorial  Expense,  graphic  chart 
of,  221,  225. 


Editorial  Matter,  ratio  of  adver- 
tising to,  156. 

Editorial  Rooms  Layout,  165,  167. 

Evening  Newspapers,  advertising 
in,  102. 

Evening  vs.  Morning  Newspapers, 
114. 

Expenses,  Budget  System  of,  265; 
dead  line  theory  of,  270;  keep- 
ing track  of,  277;  monthly 
summary  of,  282. 

Expert  Accountants,  99. 


Fashion  Page  of  New  York  Globe, 

Features,  no. 

Federal  Trade  Commission,  report 

on  cost-accounting,  96. 
Feibelman,  Ren6  H.,  149. 
Finances  and  Capitalization,  loi. 
Frankenthal,  Leo  J.,  148. 


Gibbon,  Percival,  148. 
Giles,  William  R.,  149. 
Goss  Presses,  172-174. 
Gossard,  H.  W.,  136. 
Graham,  James  F.,  80. 
Graham,  Sir  Hugh  (see  Atholstan, 

Lord). 
Graphic  Charts,  215. 
Green,  Dr.,  131. 
Grozier,  Edwin  A.,  118. 


Henderson,  E.  B.,  131. 

Hoe  Presses,  171,  172,  192,  196. 

Houston  Post,  The,  121. 


International  Paper  Co.,  The,  274. 
Intertype  Machine,  167,  180,  181. 


felke  Co.,  The  J.  P.,  130. 

fob  Work,  finding  cost  of,  98. 


INDEX 


3" 


K 


Kansas  City  Star,  The,  first  number 
issued,  26;  chronology  of,  37; 
railroad  news  in,  140,  304. 

Kellogg  Ford  Co.,  130. 

Kiehl,  Miss  W.  J.  L.,  149. 

Kohler  System,  The,  175. 

Kohlsaat,  H.  H,,  146. 


Labor  in  Newspaper  Plants,  197. 
Langland,  James,  147. 
Lawson,  Victor  F.,   12,  69;  story 
of    special    war    news    service, 

145. 
Lea,  Lars,  149. 
Linotype,   The,    167;  models  of, 

178,  180,  181. 
"Little  Black  Book,  The,"  283. 
London  Times,  The,  150. 
Loose-Leaf  Book  Forms,  283. 
Los  Angeles  Times,  The,  121. 
Ludlow  Typograph,  The,  181. 
Lundberg,  Hjalmal,  149. 

M 

Hanson,  W.  L.,  149. 
Martin,  O.  S.,  130. 
McBride,  John,  149. 
McCann,  Alfred  W.,  125. 
McLean,   William   L.,   buys    The 

Philadelphia  Bulletin,  41,  69. 
Meggy,  Percy  R.,  149. 
Mergenthaler  Machine,  The,  167; 

models  of,  178,  180,  181. 
Millar,  H.  Percye,  150. 
Monotype    Machine,    The,    179, 

196. 
Montreal  Star,  The,  development 

by    Lord   Atholstan,    62,    304, 

306. 
Morning  Advertiser,  The,  80. 
Morning  Journal,  The,  81. 
Morning  Newspapers,  advertising 

in,  102;  as  against  evening,  114; 

press  capacity  for,  193. 
Morning  Star,  The,  80. 
Morning  Telegraph,  The,  80. 


Moundsville  Argus,  The,  237. 
Mowrer,  Edgar  Ansel,  148,  152. 
Mowrer,  Paul  Scott,  147,  152, 


N 

Nelson,  Col.  William  R.,  estab- 
lishes The  Kansas  City  Star,  20; 
belief  in  features,  23;  privately 
published  biography  of,  26;  let- 
ter to  Roosevelt  about  lavN 
yers,  30,  69;  "make  your  own 
newspaper"  motto,  90,  140,  304. 

New  Orleans  Times-Picayune,  The, 
121. 

New  York  Commercial  Advertiser 
(see  New  York  Globe), 

New  York  Daily  America,  80. 

New  York  Daily  Mercury,  78. 

New  York  Globe,  The,  founded  by 
Noah  Webster  as  The  Com- 
mercial Advertiser,  66;  reborn 
in  1904,  67;  circulation  figures, 
75;  pure  food  campaign,  125; 
fashions  and  intensive  work, 
133;  fashion  page,  135;  school 
page  and  home  features,  140; 
learning  to  know  readers, 
153;  floor  plans  of  plant, 
165;  mastheads  of,  184,  185; 
graphic  charts  of,  215;  exploita- 
tion of  in  trade  papers,  228; 
information  furnished  to  ad- 
vertisers, 242;  rate  card  of,  247; 
circulation  methods  of,  258; 
increasing  price  of,  274;  voucher 
forms  of,  277. 

New  York  Herald,  advertising 
rivalry  with  The  World,  39. 

New  York  Morning  Advertiser ^ 
The,  80. 

New  York  Morning  Journal,  The, 
81. 

New  York  Morning  Star,  The,  80. 

New  York  Morning  Telegraph, 
The,  80. 

New  York  Recorder,  40. 

New  York  Times  bought  by  Ochs, 
45;  circulation  figures,  48;  de- 
tails of  purchase,  55;  presenta- 
tion of  news,  117. 


312 


INDEX 


New  York  World,  Pulitzer  owner- 
ship begins,  38,  46. 
Noel,  E.  Percy,  147. 
Northcliffe,  Lord,  150. 


Ochs,  Adolph  S.,  buys  The  New 
York  Times,  45;  his  own  story, 
49,  153. 


Palmer,  Walter  B.,  98. 

Paper    Bill,    graphic    charts    of, 

223,  224. 
"  Peter  Rabbitt,"  143: 
Philadelphia  Bulletin,  The,  bought 

by  McLean,  41,  207. 
Plant  Layout,  163. 
Portland  Oregonian,  The,  121. 
Postum  Cereal  Co.,  131. 
Premiums  and  Contests,  258. 
Press     Capacity,    necessity     for, 

192,  193. 
Price,  increasing  subscription  rate, 

274. 
Pulitzer,  Joseph,  38,  79,   80,  153. 
Pure  Food,  campaign  in  New  York 

Globe f  125;   fac-simile  of  page, 

127. 


Readers*  Interest,  how  to  learn 
of,  154. 

Reading  Matter,  ratio  of  adver- 
tising to,  156. 

Rockwell,  Paul,  148. 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  30. 

Run-down  Property,  rebuilding, 
82 ;  su  fjestions  for  rebuilding, 
87. 


Salem  Evening  News,  The,  183. 
School  Page  of  New   York  Globe, 

141. 
Schuette,  Oscar  P.,  148,  152. 
Sloss,  Robert,  148. 


Solomon,  Louis  R.,  137. 
Space-saving  Devices,  183. 
Spokane  Spokesman  Review,  The, 

121. 
Steffens,  Lincoln,  198. 
Stone,    Melville   E.,   3;  his   own 

story,  6,  304. 
Subscription   Rates,   increase   of, 

274. 
Sunday  Newspapers,  advertising 

in,  102. 
Survey  of  One's  Field,  236. 
Swing,  Raymond  E.,  147,  150. 
System  Experts,  99. 
System  Magazine,  96. 


Taylor,  Gen.  Chas.  H.,  69. 
Tcherkesoff,  Warlam,  148. 
Thompson  Typecaster,  The,  180, 

181. 
Tokstad-Burger  Co.,  The,  129. 
Trade  Papers,  value  of,  228. 
Turner,  George  W.,  81. 


Valuation  of  newspaper  property, 

how  to  arrive  at,  83,  106. 
Visualizing  Your  City,  236. 
Voucher  Forms,  277. 

W 

Washington  Post,  The,  121. 
Webster,    Noah,   establishes    The 

New  York  Globe,  66. 
Wheatsworth  Biscuit,  128. 
Wood,  Henry  A.  Wise,  176. 
Wood  Newspaper  Machinery  Co.> 

177. 
Worth  Shop,  The,  137. 
Wright,  H.  J.,  becomes  editor  of 

The  New  York  Globe,  68,  189. 


Zanghi^fi,^  Tancred^  l^g. 


THE    END 


Vvv>> 


^/  Vt/ 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

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